17 die in attack on Pak hospital

The Hazara Hospital in Hangu Chowk collapsed following the blast and several persons were buried under the rubble, witnesses said.

Rescue workers and local residents pulled bodies and the injured out of debris.
Seventeen people were killed and 10 others injured in the attack, officials said. Several nearby buildings were damaged by the powerful blast.

Rescue efforts were hampered by the lack of heavy machinery and a power outage caused by the explosion. Kohat Commissioner Khalid Khan said the bomber had targeted the hospital.

Hangu is located near Kohat, where a suicide bomber struck a crowded bus terminal on Wednesday, killing 19 people and injuring over 30 others.

Sources said the minority Shia community was also the target of Wednesday’s attack.
No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Hangu district has been declared “very sensitive” by intelligence agencies for the Islamic holy month of Muharram, which began on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned the attack in Hangu, describing it as a “brutal and inhuman act of militants”.