Death toll in suicide attack during volleyball match in Pak mounts to 90 - India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

The death toll in Friday's suicide attack in Shah Hassankhel town of Laki Marwat in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP), which occurred during a volley ball match, has mounted to 90. According to, District Police Officer (DPO) Ayub Khan, the attacker blew himself up in an SUV loaded with explosive in the middle of the field to cause maximum damage. Khan said that over 250 kilograms of explosives were used in the blast. The blast was so devastating that several houses situated near the playground also collapsed. Nearly 300 people including children were present in the playground at the time of the blast. About 10 people are feared trapped inside the rubble, Khan said. "A giant flame leapt towards the sky. There was bright light everywhere, just like a flash, and then a very huge blast shook everything," an eyewitness said. "It's just a disaster. I can see flesh, bodies and wounded all around. It's dark. Vehicles' headlights are being used to search for victims," added another. The blast, which ripped apart the play ground, comes just three days after a Muharram procession was attacked in Karachi , in which over 45 people were killed. The NWFP Information Minister Iftikhar Hussain expressed fears about the death toll rising further. "The terrorists are losing the battle and that's why they have turned to terrorizing the civilians," Hussain told mediapersons soon after the deadly attack. The Shah Hassankhel is said to be the hub of militants who were forced to flee the area with the help of peace committees.