Pakistan bomb toll rises to 54; nearly half aged under 18: police

The death toll from a suicide blast which targeted a political gathering in northwestern Pakistan has risen to 54, with almost half of the victims children, police said Monday.

"The death toll has now reached 54," Shaukat Abbas, a senior official with the counter-terrorism department, told AFP, adding that 23 victims were under the age of 18. Anwar ul Haq, deputy commissioner for the district, confirmed the toll.