Key Takeaways
- The death toll climbed to 44 after nine injured died overnight.
- Over 200 people were injured, with more than 100 still in hospitals.
- Critical patients were airlifted to Peshawar for advanced treatment.
Islamabad: The death toll of a suicide blast that hit a political gathering in the Bajaur district of Pakistan’s northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Sunday rose to 44.
The health minister of the province announced the figure on Monday, noting the severity of the attack.
Authorities are assessing the damage and providing aid to victims.
Riaz Anwar told local media that the death toll increased after nine injured people succumbed to injuries overnight during treatment in different hospitals.
The minister said more than 200 people sustained injuries in the bomb blast and over 100 of them are still under treatment in hospitals.
Anwar feared that the death toll might further rise as at least 10 of the wounded are in critical condition, adding that all the critical patients had been airlifted to the provincial capital of Peshawar.
Police said the attack took place when a suicide bomber exploded his jacket at the political workers’ convention of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) near Shanday Mor area on the Munda Khar road of the district.
