PESHAWAR, Pakistan – The bomb exploded. Dust filled the air. The cement and rubble from the devastated mosque fell from the sky into the street. It was silent.
Then the survivors began crying for help.
Rescue workers arrived on-site within minutes. They pulled victims from the rubble. The lucky ones were barely conscious. Some had lost limbs. The really unlucky ones lost their lives.
At the end of the first day of rescue, Reuters reported that at least 59 people died and 217 were injured in the explosion. Three days after the explosion, CNN reported that at least 80 people died in the blast.
Earlier today, authorities in Pakistan reported the bomber dressed as a police officer to gain access to the mosque. The BBC reported that the bomber walked through the front doors of the police compound and to the mosque before detonating the bomb. Because the bomber was dressed like other police officers, they failed to submit him to a security check.
Police chief Moazzam Jah Ansari, said, “I admit this was a security lapse. My men could not stop it. This is my fault.”
Police in Pakistan are unsure who planned and carried out the attack.
Some content courtesy of YouTube.com, Reuters, CNN, and The BBC.