The blast occurred at 5:30pm about 10 minutes before Iftar, leaving body parts, fruit, coloured bangles and sandals scattered across the street. Muhammad Umar (30), son of Alif Muhammad and Ehsanullah (14), son of Nadir Khan, resident of Charmang, Bajaur Agency were killed on the spot while names of four other persons could not be ascertained.
The injured were rushed to the nearby Lady Reading Hospital (LRH). NWFP Inspector General of Police Rifat Pasha told media men he was not sure about the nature of explosive. He said the bomb disposal squad has collected some materials from the spot and they would finalise the report after examining them.
Provincial health minister Inayatullah Khan directed the LRH chief executive to provide maximum facilities to the injured. He said due to emergency-like situation he himself supervising the whole activity inside the hospital.
Dr Abdul Samad, chief executive of the hospital, told newsmen there is no shortage of blood and emergency medicines.
"I was busy in buying fruits and vegetable for Iftar when a heavy explosion occurred on the roadside creating panic among people," said Mohammad Ayaz, a 65-year-old man, who received injuries on both of his legs. Meanwhile, the NWFP government has announced Rs 100,000 as compensation for the families of the deceased, Rs 50,000 for critically injured people while persons with minor injuries would get Rs 25,000.
Agencies add: An interior ministry official said seven people were dead, while a doctor at Lady Reading Hospital said six dead bodies and 24 injured people had been brought in. Thirteen of the injured were in critical condition. The bomb was apparently planted beneath one of a number of vendors' carts parked on a footpath outside the Jinnah Park, which were selling toys, garments and jewellery, police officer Abdul Rehman said.
"The road was crowded with men, women and children when the explosion occurred," Rehman said. Five of the wounded were women who were selling bangles from the carts, hospital officials said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest attack, although security sources suspected militants linked to unrest in North Waziristan.
Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao said it was too early to say who might have been responsible for planting the improvised explosive device (IED). "It seems like a locally made IED," he said. "It is an attempt to create chaos and harassment." Senior police official Malik Mohammad Saeed said it was the sixth blast to hit Peshawar in a month.
"The previous blasts were benign ones. Those were probably warning shots. Today's blast shows the perpetrators are in real business now," he said, but refused to speculate who was behind these explosions.
"I was boarding a rickshaw when I heard big bang. It was very strong. There was smoke everywhere and people started crying," 16-year-old wounded Mohammad Ismail told Reuters in Lady Reading Hospital. "I saw a dead body lying near my feet. It was a terrible moment," another injured man, Mohammad Suleman, said.
"I heard a big explosion and as I looked back there was human flesh all around," an eyewitness who gave his name as Shahid told AFP at the scene of the blast. The blast sent limbs flying metres away and the road was littered with blood and pieces of flesh, an AFP photographer said.
Many people were crying at the site, which was initially in a state of chaos, the photographer added. Police later cordoned off the area and collected evidence. Muslim Khan, 35, was badly wounded in the right leg and right arm. "I was buying fruit when there was suddenly a big explosion. I fell on the ground and lost consciousness and when I came to I found myself in the hospital," he said.