MULTAN: Another injured of Sunday’s blast at Vehari Chowk succumbed to his wounds on Monday, raising the toll to 11.

Regional Police Officer Tariq Masood Yaseen said all the dead had been identified and none of them was a suicide bomber.

“Now it has been confirmed that the blast was not a suicide attack and the person who was being suspected as suicide bomber was a resident of Khanewal and was a passerby,” he said. He said investigation was being carried out by adopting modern techniques and forensics report would be very much helpful in finalising the report.

Civil Defence District Officer Tariq Waheed said a remote control device had been used in the blast. “Our technical team is of the opinion that a remote control device has been used as we did not find any thing that can suggest that a time device has been used,” he said.

He said the circumstantial evidence suggested that explosives had been placed on any thing like cart or bike. He said about seven to eight kilo explosive material was used in the blast.

According to a police handout, 11 people had lost their lives in the blast while 71 were injured out of which two were in a critical condition.

CPO Azhar Ikram said culprits would be traced and brought to justice. So far no militant group has accepted responsibility for attack.

Meanwhile, provincial ministers Nadim Kamran and Iqbal Channar visited Nishtar Hospital to inquire after the health of the injured. They distributed cheques for Rs75,000 each among 38 injured and directed the hospital administration to provide them free treatment.

DCO Gondal also visited the hospital and said Rs500,000 each would be given to the families of those who lost their lives.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2015

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