45 killed in suicide blast near Wagah border

At least 45 people were killed and over 70 others injured when a teenaged suicide bomber blew himself up Sunday evening near the Wagah border in Pakistan's Lahore metropolis, police said.

Inspector General of Police Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera said a suspected 18-year-old suicide bomber blew up his explosive jacket around 5.50 p.m. amid a crowd of people who were coming back after attending a flag hoisting ceremony at the border, Xinhua reported.

The blast took place outside a restaurant near the first gate of the venue where the ceremony is held. The flag ceremony is held daily and is attended by hundreds of people on both the Pakistan and Indian sides.

Police said at least five kg of explosives along with ball bearings were used in the blast.

Three Pakistani security personnel were among those killed, and 10 others injured.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the attack and urged the authorities to provide the best possible treatment to the wounded.

Earlier reports said it was a gas cylinder blast in a restaurant, but police confirmed it was a suicide bombing.

Ghurki Trust Hospital director Naeem Ghurki said many women and children were among those killed and injured, and the death toll may rise as many of the injured were in critical condition.

Rescue teams and police rushed to the site and shifted the bodies and the injured to hospitals. They cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.

Emergency has been declared in all state-run hospitals in Lahore. The hospitals have appealed to the public for blood donations.

Police later said they have found the head and legs of the suicide bomber.