Ten people including seven children were killed and dozens wounded Monday in an explosion at the home of a Muslim cleric in central Pakistan where pupils were taught the Koran, officials said. It was not immediately clear why the explosives detonated on the outskirts of Mian Channu, about 90 kilometres (55 miles) east of Multan in the heart of Pakistan's most populous and politically important province, Punjab.| "Remember always to connect the red wire to the red, and the green wire to the green. Are any of you students colour-blind?" "But Teacher, all my wires are grey!" BOOOM!!!! |
| "After this, we'll work on how to be a jacket wallah. The girls love jacket wallahs, you know." |
Police said up to 25 homes were damaged due to the force of the explosion, which gouged a huge crater out of the ground. Only the outer walls of buildings were left standing, as rescue workers sifted through the rubble under the burning sun and a rocket launcher was visible sticking out of the debris, according to television footage. "The blast took place inside the house of a local cleric. Children used to come to his house for religious education," Khan told reporters. "The blast was so severe that it formed a big crater and around 25 houses collapsed," he told the private Geo television channel.
Rana Sanaullah, a provincial cabinet minister, said that an investigation was under way into the cause of the blast.
| Everyone who thinks it was illicit explosives, raise your hand. |