Summary The explosion took place inside an Imambargah in Lakhi Dar area during Friday prayers.
KARACHI (Web Desk / AFP) – At least 20 people were killed and 40 others injured as explosion hit an Imambargah in Shikarpur district of Sindh, around 470 kilometres (300 miles) north of Karachi.
According to police, the explosion took place inside an Imambargah in Lakhi Dar area during Friday prayers.
Nature of explosion could not be confirmed yet.
Heavy contingent of Rangers personnel arrived at the scene. Locals shifted the injured to nearby hospitals on their own.
Shaukat Ali Memon, the medical superintendent of Civil Hospital in Shikarpur gave a death toll of 20, but there was no confirmation of the higher figure.
According to provincial health minister Jam Mehtab, condition of 20 injured persons is critical.
Emergency has been imposed in civil hospitals in Sukkur, Larkana and Khairpur on the directives of CM Sindh Qaim Ali Shah.
The attack came as Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited Karachi, the capital of Sindh province, to discuss the law and order situation in the city.
PM Nawaz and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan strongly condemned the incident. They expressed condolences with the bereaved families.
The Prime Minister directed for provision of best medical facilities to the injured and sought a report of the incident.
It is the bloodiest single sectarian attack in Pakistan since January 22 last year, when 24 Shia pilgrims returning from Iran were killed when their bus was bombed in southwestern Balochistan province.
