35 killed, 175 injured in 3 suicide blasts at Pak shrine

LAHORE: Three explosions ripped through the famous Data Darbar shrine in this eastern Pakistani city today, killing 35 people and injuring 175 others, Lahore Commissioner Khusro Pervez said.

Two explosions occurred in the parking lot and the basement of the Sufi saint's shrine, where people perform ablutions before entering the complex.

The third blast went off in a part of the shrine adjoining a crowded market, witnesses and police said.

Geo News channel quoted its sources as saying that at least two blasts were carried out by suicide bombers though there was no official word on this development.

The explosions created panic among people, who ran helter-skelter.

A large number of people visit Data Darbar, the shrine of Sufi saint Syed Abul Hassan Bin Usman bin Ali al-Hajweri, every Thursday night.

Police and rescue workers rushed to the shrine and ferried the bodies and injured to nearby hospitals.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack.