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3rd LD Writethru: Suicide blast at government office in NW Pakistan kills 18

Xinhua, December 29, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least 18 people were killed and 47 others injured in a blast at a government office in Pakistan's northwest Mardan district on Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

Sayyad Khan, Deputy Inspector General Police, said that a suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden motorbike at the main gate of the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) at Dosehra Chowk area of Mardan in the country's northwest Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

He said that the attacker wanted to blow himself up inside the building, but rammed his motorbike into the gate after being denied entry.

Khan added that the blast happened when a number of people were inside the Nadra office for getting their National Identity Card.

The injured people have been shifted to District Hospital and Mardan Medical complex by the rescue teams.

Doctor Haris, District Emergency official, said that causality number is feared to rise because at least 10 of the injured people are in critical condition.

The Nadra building was also damaged in the blast.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.

Police cordoned off the area for investigations. Enditem