18 killed in NW Pak blast

Jan 17, 2011 |

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Peshawar: A powerful blast in a bus killed at least 18 people and injured nine others in northwest Pakistan today though the cause of the explosion could not immediately be determined, police said.

The blast, which destroyed the bus, occurred at Alizai Jozara near Hangu, a key city in Khyber-Pakhtunnkhwa province.

The minibus was heading to Kohat, another city located close to the restive tribal belt.

District police chief Abdur Rashid told PTI the blast was apparently caused by the explosion of gas cylinders.

He did not rule out the possibility of terror attack and said a bomb disposal squad had been called in to investigate the incident.

"A bomber might have been present in the bus," another police official said.

Reports said the explosion apparently occurred after the bus collided with a pick-up truck though this could not be independently confirmed.

The injured were taken to a hospital in Hangu.

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