At least 22 killed, 30 injured in Lahore bomb blast

Lahore: At least 22 people were killed while 30 others sustained injuries in a powerful suicide blast near residence-cum-office of Pakistan's Punjab province Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.

Senior police official Imran Awan said the bodies had been shifted to a hospital and some 15 others, including policeman, had been injured.

According to Awan, an anti-encroachment drive was underway at the Kot Lakhpat vegetable market near Arfa Karim Software Technology Park when the explosion took place.

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A fire erupted after the explosion. Glass panes of nearby buildings were shattered.

The area where the blast took place is supposed to be one of the most secure neighbourhoods of Lahore, just 100 metres from Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif's office.