Car bomb in eastern Pakistan kills 20, injures more than 100

Car bomb in eastern Pakistan kills 20, injures more than 100

2011-03-08 14:22:07 GMT+7 (ICT)

FAISALABAD, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- At least 20 people were killed and dozens more were injured when a suspected car bomb devastated a gas station and an office belonging to an airline in eastern Pakistan, local media reported.

Dawn News television cited government official Naseem Sadiq as saying that the explosives were planted in a vehicle that was parked at a gas station in Faisalabad, a city in Punjab province. It is the third largest city in Pakistan, following behind Karachi and Lahore.

The blast caused a huge explosion, destroying most of the gas station and severely damaging a nearby office of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), Dawn News said. Other prominent buildings, such as an army recruitment center and a police station, are also nearby the site of the blast.

Multiple cars were also destroyed in the blast and several people could still believed to be trapped in the debris. Regional police chief Aftab Cheema confirmed 20 people were killed, while more than 100 others were injured. Some remain in a critical condition.

Faisalabad, while one of the country's largest cities and known for its textile industry, is rarely the site of major terrorist attacks.

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