A massive blast took place in front of the Islamabad High Court on Tuesday afternoon around 12:30 PM resulting in the death of 12 and injuries on several others. The explosion occurred as one of the cars parked in the parking space of the court was blown up into a huge ball of fire. The burst was heard over a great distance causing panic in the immediate surroundings.
Local police claimed that the explosion had occurred at a moment when there was a heavy traffic and a huge number of people in the court premises. Some of the injured were a number of lawyers and civilians.
According to Geo News the injured were rushed to the local hospitals. The police have put the area under a lockout and started a preliminary investigation into the incident.
Firstly, there were reports that the blast could have been as a result of a gas cylinder burst. Nevertheless, according to police, at first glance, it may seem to be a cylinder explosion, but there is an investigation that is being done to verify the cause. The site has also been deployed with security forces and forensic team to investigate the cause of the explosion and ensure that there is no negligence or foul play.
After the incident, there has been increased security around the court complex and around as well. All judicial activities have been put on hold and the government has been encouraging people to be more careful.
