QUETTA, March 20: The death toll from the Fatehpur shrine explosion soared to 40 on Sunday as 15 people seriously injured in the blast died in different hospitals. The bomb had exploded on Saturday during the Urs of Sufi saint Pir Syed Rakheel Shah at his shrine in Jhal Magsi district when devotees had gathered in the kitchen compound for evening meal. The province’s top police official ruled out the possibility of a suicide bomber being behind the blast.
“It was a time bomb,” Inspector General of Police, Balochistan, Chaudhry Mohammad Yaqoob said, adding that a time device and splinters of bomb had been found at the explosion site.
He said some unknown people had planted the bomb in the kitchen area of the shrine which exploded when hundreds of people were busy collecting their food being distributed there. “The condition of 18 injured is still serious,” official sources said, adding that the death toll could rise.
“So for 27 bodies have been identified who belong to different areas of Sindh and Balochistan,” a senior police officer told Dawn over telephone from Gandhawn. He added that 13 bodies lying in the Civil Hospital Jhal Magsi could not be identified.
The spokesman of Balochistan government, Raziq Bugti, confirmed the figure of 40 dead and said the toll could rise because of serious condition of some of the injured.
Most of the injured were shifted to hospitals of Dera Murad Jamali, Jacobabad and Larkana by their relatives.
The IG police confirmed 29 deaths and said some people had taken bodies of their relatives without reporting at any hospital. Those bodies went unaccounted for.
The District Coordination Officer Jhal Magsi, Mehmood Khan Marri, said a large number of people suffered injuries during the post-blast stampede.
He said investigation had been launched to ascertain the motive behind the dastardly attack.
“It could be a family feud over the shrine’s possession,” he said, pointing out that the caretaker of the mazaar, Sajjada Nasheen Pir Syed Sadiq Shah, had survived in the explosion.
He, however, insisted that other factors could not be ruled out. For instance, some people were against dance during the Urs, which is held every year from March 18 to 21.
“We are looking into all aspects,” he remarked.
The Provincial Home Secretary, Humyun Khan, described the shrine incident as a “terrorist act”.
According to reports reaching here, 25 people died on the spot. It was a heart-rending scene, with human limbs and body parts scattered all over the place. Some were found hanging from trees near the blast site.
“The bodies were badly charred,” eyewitness Faqir Ghulam Hussain said. Sajjada Nasheen Pir Syed Sadiq Ali Shah was present close the site but remained unhurt.
“Pir Sahib is safe and sound,” said an eyewitness, adding that thousands of people were present on the premises of the shrine when the blast ripped through it.
People of Jhal Magsi have announced three days of mourning in connection with the Fatehpur incident. Business centres and bazaars remained closed on Sunday in the district.
Some of the deceased have been identified as Jumma Khan, Safit Ali Hussain Bakhsh, Ghulam Haider, Mohammad Younus, Mohammad Rafiq, Mohammad Nawaz, Imam Bakhsh, Wasand Khan, Bakshil Khan, Kalati, Shafi Mohammad, Khadim Hussain, Chakar Jakhrani, Mohammad Younus, Miwa Khan, Nisar Junejo, Mohammad Umar, Din Bakht, Rahim Bakhsh, Saifullah, Manzoor Hussain, Mohammad Rafiq, Intizar Hussain and Jatha Mal.