PESHAWAR, Nov 11: The suicide blast on the main gate of Qayyum Sports Complex on Tuesday created panic outside the facility but the spectators inside the stadium remained unaware of the attack due to the fireworks.

Though, the police had closed the gates of the sports complex hosting the Third Inter-Provincial Games, not allowing the players and the spectators to go out, yet the area people flocked to the site of blast where blood and flesh of the bomber were lying on the road.

The traffic remained suspended on Peshawar-Bara Road as the police cordoned off the area and traffic was diverted to Mall Road.

The traffic police switched off the traffic signals and tried to regulate the traffic manually but the situation witnessed in Stadium Chowk was very pathetic as everyone was trying to overcome others.

The area in front of the sports complex is usually used by Suzuki and motorcycle rickshaw drivers as a stand but police had evicted them due to the inter-provincial games. An official of the Cantonment Circle said if police had not removed the encroachments casualties could have been much more.

It merits a mention here that the tragic incident took place, soon after the concluding ceremony of third Inter-Provincial Games, 2008, where Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani was the chief guest.

On the other hand, spectators inside the Qayyum Sports Complex remained unaware of the alleged suicide bomb blast near the gate for 15 minutes owing to heavy firework on the conclusion of the games.

The provincial governor had awarded trophies to players minutes before when the attacker struck the main gate after failing to enter, killing several among the 3,000 spectators, who had thronged the stadium owing to free entry by the government to watch the final games. At around 5:45pm, some people got alerted to a heavy explosion nearby but soon they took it for the firework and ignored it.

The spectators enjoyed the final day for the next 15 minutes enjoying firework when someone from the mike passed on the news of a suicide attack at the gate asking them to vacate the ground as soon as possible. People swarmed the gates, which were already shut in view of the strict security measures.

Youths scaled the stadium wall to get out, while the older spectators tried to break the bulky locks at the gate with stones. At a time, there were signs of stampede but sense prevailed when an announcer requested the people to get seated. Some young people remained busy in taking images of the human flesh inside the stadium.

The blast occurred exactly at a time when organisers of the event were giving thanks to Almighty Allah for the peaceful conclusion of the sports gala.

Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani, Senior Minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour and Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain left the stadium before the suicide blast.

Sports Minister Aqil Shah by virtue of his designation of chairman of the NWFP Olympic Committee remained at the stadium seeing off the senior officials of the Pakistan Sports Boards and organisers and players of other provinces.