Dozens killed in Pakistan car bombings

Two bombs exploded on a crowded street in north-western Pakistan today, killing at least 33 people in the third attack to hit the troubled city of Peshawar in a week. The blasts hit outside a police station in an area crowded with shops and families.

Police said it appeared at least one of the explosions had been a car bomb. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The blast damaged the mosque and nearby shops, and caused many vehicles to go up in flames.

At least 33 people died in the blast, said a spokesman for Lady Reading Hospital, while more than 70 were wounded.

Such attacks in the city, which is the provincial capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, have claimed more than 130 lives since last Sunday when two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a crowd of Christian worshippers at a church, killing 85 people.

Then, on Friday, 19 people died when a bomb planted on a bus carrying government employees home for the weekend exploded in the Peshawar outskirts.

Today’s bomb went off was near the All Saints Church, which was the scene of last Sunday’s carnage.

Book shop owner Nazar Ali had just opened his shop when the bomb went off.

He said: “It was a huge blast that was followed by fire in vehicles. Thick black smoke covered the air and splinters spread all over. I saw people lying dead and bleeding all over.”

Another man was shopping for breakfast when the bomb exploded.

“Suddenly there was a huge bang and I fell on the ground,” said Adnan Hussain, speaking from Lady Reading Hospital where the wounded were taken. “My cousin Rizwan is dead and the other is critical.”

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but the blame is likely to fall on the Pakistani Taliban and its affiliates.

The militant group has been battling troops in north-western Pakistan; their aim is to overthrow the government and establish a hard-line Islamic state across Pakistan.

Agencies