20 injured in bomb blast at open-air market in northwest Pakistan (Representative image)
A bomb planted on a vegetable cart went off at a busy open-air market in a tribal district in northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, injuring at least 20 people including a child, police said.
The bomb blast occurred in Turi Bazar in the city of Parachinar when the explosives went off as people were busy buying groceries and vegetables.
Parachinar District Superintendent of Police Najab Ali said the cause of the explosion was an improvised explosive device (IED) that was fitted inside a vegetable cart.
The injured were rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital.
At least 20 people have been brought wounded for treatment, said hospital staff, including a child, Deputy Medical Superintendent (DMS) Parachinar Hospital Dr Qaiser Hasan was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.
He said that two among the wounded are critically injured.
Parachinar is the capital city of Kurram district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Soon after the blast, security forces and rescue teams reached the spot.
Security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but the region is known for sectarian clashes between Sunnis and Shias.
The residents blocked the main highway and staged a protest against the bombing in front of Parachinar Press Club.
Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the blast, saying "terrorists seek to target citizens and leave Pakistan in the grip of terror."
Kurram district is considered one of the most sensitive tribal areas of Pakistan as it borders three Afghanistan provinces. It has witnessed scores of attacks and kidnapping for ransom incidents during the last decade.
In 2017, nearly 132 people were killed and 460 others wounded in five militant attacks in Parachinar.
In previous years, militants had carried out 11 bomb attacks that killed over 500 people.
