Death toll reaches 100,rescue concludes in Pakistan mosque bombing

PESHAWAR: The death toll in the Peshawar's Police Lines mosque blast has risen to 100 as the rescue operation to retrieve bodies from the debris of the mosque concluded on Tuesday, Geo News reported. The toll of injured has reached at least 221.

According to Mohammad Asim, the spokesperson for the primary medical facility, Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar, approximately 100 bodies have been taken into the facility and 53 patients are being treated, as per Geo News.

A suicide bomber blew himself up in the mosque - a heavily guarded police facility at about 1 pm on Monday during Zohr prayers, forcing the roof to collapse on those praying at the time. The caretaker CM revealed that an inquiry committee had been constituted to identify those responsible for this act.

Geo News reported citing Rescue 1122's spokesperson who stated that the rescue operation to retrieve bodies from the debris of the mosque has finally concluded. Speaking during a press conference alongside KP CM Azam Khan, Inspector-General Moazzam Jah Ansari said that about 10-12 kilograms of explosives were used in the blast.

He said that there has been a security lapse and investigations are underway to ascertain the facts, Geo News reported. "We are checking one-month's CCTV footage and tracking the facilitators of the bomber," he added.

According to security officials, the suicide attacker was present in the front row during the prayers when he blew himself up. The outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has claimed responsibility for the attack. Earlier today, India condoled the loss of lives in the deadly terror attack that shook Peshawar.

Taking to Twitter, MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi wrote, "India extends its deep condolences to the families of the victims of the terror attack in Peshawar yesterday. We strongly condemn this attack, which has taken the lives of so many people."