MINGORA, Jan 11: Police on Friday arrested 40 people in connection with a bomb blast at a Tableeghi centre in Takhtaband area here.

Also in the day, the people, who died in the terrorist activity, were laid to rest at their ancestral graveyards in Swat district amid tight security.

SP (Investigation) Irshad told Dawn that five kilogrammes explosive device was used in the blast.

An official at Rahimabad police station said 40 suspected persons were arrested and shifted to undisclosed location for interrogation.

He said FIR of the terrorists act had been registered against unidentified people at Rahimabad police station.

Deputy medical superintendent at District Headquarters Hospital, Saidu Shairf Dr Jamil said currently, over 70 injured people were under treatment on the premises.

He said two injured people had already been referred to Peshawar for being in dangerous condition.

The DMS said emergency had been declared at the hospital to provide better facilities and care to the inured.

An injured man, Afzal, told Dawn: “It was a doomsday. I was sitting in the front row of the hall when the blast occurred. After the blast, bodies were everywhere, while the injured were crying.” Another injured person, Amir Zaman, said he was in the third row at the time of the explosion.

He said when he opened eyes, he was in the hospital.

Shamsher Ali of Dewlai said many people were injured due to stampede after the blast. He said some people were running here and there, while some were busy in picking the injured people.

The dead people hailing from various localities of Swat were laid to rest in their ancestral graveyards in Najigram, Nawi Kalli, Gogdara, Serai, Kokarai, Melagah, Tendo Dag, Balogram, Rahimabad and other places of Swat district amid moving scenes.

In the day, policemen were deployed to guard mosques during Friday prayers in Swat, while all entry and exit points to the district were sealed to counter terrorism.—By Khalilur Rehman Bacha