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28th Mar 2016

72 feared dead in Pakistan suicide bombing, as the world pays tribute to the victims

Jordan Gold

The Easter Sunday suicide bomb attack in a park in Pakistan has left at least 72 people dead, many of them believed to be children.

The Taliban splinter group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar has claimed responsibility for the attack in Lahore, the largest city in Pakistan’s eastern Punjab province. The bombers said they were targeting families celebrating Easter.

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Pakistan’s prime minister Nawaz Sharif has promised “swift action” against those responsible.

Meanwhile, the regional government in Lahore has announced three days of mourning, with more than half of the victims reported to be women and young children.

Confusion escalated on Sunday as thousands of Facebook users worldwide were alerted via an urgent message from Facebook suggesting that they were in Lahore and asking if they were OK.

Meanwhile, actual Lahore residents crowded several downtown hospitals to donate blood to victims of the blast. A local ride-sharing company, Careem, began offering free rides to hospital for passengers wishing to help.

David Cameron and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai were among those leading tributes to the victims of the attack.

https://twitter.com/mak_asif/status/714427540430045184

https://twitter.com/BurcuEkennn/status/714433948944900096?lang=en-gb

https://twitter.com/TheCWW/status/714281166254317569