December 2009 Dera Ghazi Khan bombing
Encyclopedia
A car bombing occurred on 15 December 2009 in a market located in the city of Dera Ghazi Khan
in the southern region
of Pakistan
's largest province, Punjab. At least 33 people were reported killed and 50 more injured.
. He however was not at home and was not injured. Mr Khosa had recently presided over a meeting of religious leaders that had called suicide-bombing un-Islamic. The bomb caused the whole market to collapse.
. The chief minister announced financial aid of Rs 500,000 to the families of the dead, Rs 75,000 to those who were injured and Rs 50,000 to those with minor injuries.
Dera Ghazi Khan
Dera Ghazi Khan is a city located in Dera Ghazi Khan District, Punjab, Pakistan. Dera Ghazi Khan is one of the most populous cities in Southern Punjab, and it is the largest district in Punjab in terms of area, being approximately in extent....
in the southern region
South Punjab
South Punjab is the southernmost region of Pakistan's Punjab province. The districts of Bahawalpur, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan and D. G. Khan are geographically regarded as components of the region...
of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
's largest province, Punjab. At least 33 people were reported killed and 50 more injured.
Bombing
The blast happened at around 2:45 PM local time. About 1,000 kg of explosives were estimated to have been used. The bomb exploded in front of the main gate of the house belonging to Zulfiqar Ali Khosa a senior adviser to the chief minister of Punjab and a politician belonging to Pakistan Muslim League (N)Pakistan Muslim League (N)
The Pakistan Muslim League is a conservative political party in Pakistan, affiliated with Western conservatism...
. He however was not at home and was not injured. Mr Khosa had recently presided over a meeting of religious leaders that had called suicide-bombing un-Islamic. The bomb caused the whole market to collapse.
Aftermath
Hassan Iqbal, the town commissioner, said "There are many people trapped in the rubble after the powerful blast demolished some 10 shops ... The rescue work is under way and we fear the toll may go up." Forty-six people were taken to the local hospital while seven critically wounded were shifted to the hospital in the nearby city of MultanMultan
Multan , is a city in the Punjab Province of Pakistan and capital of Multan District. It is located in the southern part of the province on the east bank of the Chenab River, more or less in the geographic centre of the country and about from Islamabad, from Lahore and from Karachi...
. The chief minister announced financial aid of Rs 500,000 to the families of the dead, Rs 75,000 to those who were injured and Rs 50,000 to those with minor injuries.
External links
- In pictures: Pakistan market bomb, BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, 2009-12-15 - Video:Pakistan car bomb kills 22, The Daily TelegraphThe Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...