On Tuesday, health and police officials reported that the casualties resulting from the twin explosions which occurred on Monday in a police station in Pakistan’s Swat district, located in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, have increased to 17 fatalities and at least 70 individuals who have sustained injuries.
The KP Health Secretary, Mahmood Aslam Wazir, has verified the number of fatalities resulting from the recent occurrence. In his statement, he confirmed that the death toll has risen as a significant number of the injured fatalities, and additional bodies have been retrieved from the rubbles of the police station infrastructure. This building’s collapse was due to powerful blasts that occurred in the vicinity.
According to the speaker, a minimum of eight individuals from the afflicted have been deemed to be in a critical state. Consequently, medical facilities located throughout the area have been placed on heightened vigilance, and all healthcare professionals have been instructed to report for their respective duties in preparation for potential emergencies.
The Kabal area of Swat witnessed a twofold explosion in the premises of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) police station, resulting in the death of nine police personnel, three civilians, and five detained individuals.
17 killed, 70 injured in NW Pakistan twin explosions, and some 100 rescuers working on site https://t.co/4TKRMP3q79 pic.twitter.com/8AdRhIie7p
— China Xinhua News (@XHNews) April 26, 2023
The ongoing search and rescue effort, now in its second day, continues at the site of the explosion. In addition to addressing the impact of the detonations, which has caused damage to neighboring buildings such as residential homes, a mosque, and a school, rescue officials from the state-operated agency known as Rescue 1122 are actively engaged in the process of debris removal. According to a statement made by Shafiqa Gul, a rescue official, operations are still underway.
According to official reports, in excess of one hundred rescue personnel and heavy equipment have been actively engaged in the ongoing rescue mission. In addition, individuals who have sustained severe burn injury have been transported to the Burns and Trauma Center located in the nearby city of Peshawar.
CTD Deputy Inspector General Khalid Sohail negated the proposition of suicide attacks or any other forms of terrorism, as inferred by certain officials and media reports previously, whilst providing his insight on the explosive events.
