Lahore: 2 dead, 16 injured in explosion near LeT founder Hafiz Saeed’s Lahore residence

At least two people were killed, while sixteen others were injured in a blast that was reported in a residential area of Pakistan's Punjab province on Wednesday, local media reported. The explosion took place near Ahsan Mumtaz Hospital in Lahore's Johar Town, outside the house of Jamaat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief Hafiz Muhammad Saeed.

Lahore police chief Ghulam Mehmood Dogar told reporters two of the injured died in Jinnah Hospital.

Saeed has for long had a residence in Johar Town. However, he is currently in jail in Lahore after he was arrested and convicted last year in a string of cases related to his involvement in terror financing.

Dogar also told reporters the incident appeared to be a “bomb blast” but investigations were underway to determine the exact nature of the explosion.

"So far we have not been able to determine whether a gas pipeline burst or whether it was a cylinder. But we have shifted four people to the hospital and more injured are expected," a spokesperson for the emergency rescue team said.

City Deputy Commissioner Mudassir Riaz Malik has directed the relevant police officials to reach the site of the incident.

The Lahore Deputy Commissioner also directed emergency wards at all hospitals to be on alert.

Meanwhile, multiple witness account says the glass windows of nearby houses and buildings have been shattered.

According to the media reports, the sound of the blast was so loud that it was heard in faraway areas.

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• Dawn
• Hafiz Saeed
• Lahore
• explosion
• JuD