JOIN USThe blast destroyed the front of the movie hall located in Kabuli Market, a busy commercial area in the heart of Peshawar. The explosion, which was heard across the city, damaged some adjoining buildings and destroyed several vehicles.
Initial reports on TV news channels said at least five persons were killed by the blast. Officials said they feared the toll could rise as more people were believed to be buried under the debris of the cinema hall.
The condition of some of the injured was described by doctors as serious.
No group claimed responsibility for the blast, though officials said it could have been the handiwork of local Taliban who had warned owners of movie theatres to shut their establishments. The militants have described cinema halls and shops selling music and movies as “un-Islamic”.
Officials said very few people were inside the cinema hall at the time of the blast as most residents of Peshawar had stopped visiting theatres due to the threats from the Taliban.
The blast occurred six days after a bomb attack on an internet cafe in the Kakshal area of Peshawar that killed 11 people, including four children.