Several killed and injured in Pakistan mosque explosion

33 killed and 150 wounded in a blast at a mosque during afternoon worship in the provincial capital of Peshawar, close to former tribal areas that border Afghanistan.

A frantic rescue mission was underway at the mosque, which had an entire wall and some of its roof blown out by the force of the blast.

“Many policemen are buried under the rubble,” said Peshawar police chief Muhammad Ijaz Khan, who estimated between 300 and 400 officers usually attended prayers at the mosque.

“Efforts are being made to get them out safely,” he said.

Bloodied survivors emerged limping from the wreckage, while bodies were ferried away in ambulances as the rescue operation continued.

“It’s an emergency situation,” Muhammad Asim Khan, a spokesman for the main hospital in Peshawar told AFP.