20 injured in explosion inside Rahim Yar Khan bank building

At least 20 people were injured in an explosion that took place inside the building of a private bank on National Highway in Sadiqabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Rescue 1122 officials told South Punjab News on Thursday.

According to South Punjab News, the explosion  left the building completely destroyed.

Police and Rescuers rushed to the area and shifted the injured to nearby hospitals where a state of emergency was declared.

The police had surrounded the blast site. The number of injured which was reported to be around eight was revised latter to 20.Rescue 1122 officials reached the site of the blast as the news broke. The building where the blast took place collapsed partially.

According to Rescue 1122 officials, a search and recuse operation is currently underway and the injured are being shifted to hospitals.

Deputy Commissioner Sadiqabad Jameel Ahmed Jameel has declared an emergency in the DHQ and Sheikh Zaid Hospital.District Police Officer (DPO) said nature of the explosion was yet to be ascertained. 

He said preliminary investigation suggest that it was a cylinder blast.

Windowpanes of nearby buildings were shattered in thh blast while many vehicles parked near the bank were also damaged.  

The nature of the explosion is yet to be determined and the area surrounding the bank has been cordoned off.The nature of the explosion is yet to be ascertained. The area surrounding the bank has been cordoned off.

The injured includes Raashid and Ismail of Adamsaba, Azhar Abbas of Mazhar Fareed Colony Sadiqabad, Zahid Abbas of Tibba Zahirpir, Yaqoob, Alam, Qasim, Aamir Kashif, Ghulam Hussain and Asim of Awami Colony Sadiqabad, Javed Iqbal of Basti Laar, Ehtaram of Kabirwala, Muawia of Arian Colony, Mehmood of Ghulam Rasool Colony, Tanzeel of Leghari Colony, Ghulam Fareed of Madina Colony, Adnan of Basti Kalwar and a bank employee Shahid.

RPO Bahawalpur Imran Mehmood with DPO Umar Farooq Salamat also reached the spot to supervise investigation into the incident.