HYDERABAD: As many as 72 devotees were martyred and over 200 injured in suicide attack on the shrine of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalander in Sehwan Town on Thursday evening.

The Deputy Commissioner Jamshoro Munawar Mahesar, who visited the site after the explosion, told the media that a head of a woman had been found at the place.

"The preliminary investigation points to suicide attack," DIG Hyderabad Khadim Hussain Rind said while talking to
the media. According to Edhi Foundation's head Faisal Edhi - who reached Sehwan to supervise the rescue work men, children and women were among the deed.

The health authorities, district administration and the police have informed that the injured who needed emergency medical care had been shifted to Hyderabad, Nawabshah and Jamshoro.

Medical Superintendant Taluka hospital Sehwan Dr. Moinddin confirmed 72 people including women and children
were martyred in the attack, while more than 200 people sustained injuries.

"We have shifted at least 40 critically injured persons to other hospitals," Medical Superintendent of Taluka
Hospital Sehwan Moinuddin Siddiqi told.

Among the injured around 31 were moved to Peoples Medical Hospital in Nawabshah among whom 5 succumbed to injuries while 3 injured were being shifted to Karachi, the hospital sources informed.

Among the remaining injured, five each had so far been shifted to Jamshoro and Hyderabad. The MS informed that the dead bodies were lying at the Taluka Hospital's wards.

According to him, dozens of injured people had already been discharged after providing first aid.
The medical teams and ambulances from hospitals in Hyderabad, Jamshoro and Dadu rushed to Sehwan while the
volunteers of different charity organizations also joined in the rescue work.

Hundreds of people turned up to donate blood at Sehwan, Jamshoro and Hyderabad hospitals.The municipal officer Nisar Shah informed that thousands of devotees were present at the shrine when the explosion occurred.

"There was huge attendance due to Thursday. The people were performing the ritual of dhamaal at the time of the blast," he told. The DIG Hyderabad Khadim Hussain Rind informed that a team of forensic expert had reached the shrine to examine the place.

The DIG said a 27-member team of police personnels including a Sub-Inspector and an Assistant Sub-
Inspector was on duty at the time of blast. Sehwan is located 132 kilometers away from Jamshoro and
around 140 kilometers from Hyderabad.

Due to the long distance, it took several hours for the ambulances to move the patients to other districts.
In the wake of the attack, the shrine of Hazrat Abdul Wahab Shah Jeelani in Hyderabad has been vacated for security reasons. -APP