Multan, Dec.8 (ANI): At least 12 persons were reportedly killed and more than 18 injured in a powerful bomb blast near the Army Public College in Multan on Tuesday.

The blast was so powerful that it ripped apart several adjacent building in the Qasim Bela area of Multan Cantonment.

Security officials and other relief and rescue teams arrived on the spot immediately after the blast, and have cordoned off the region.

“We have recovered 12 dead bodies and more than 18 injured. Most of the dead are civilians. There were also some security men among the dead. This building belongs to the army. It’s badly damaged,” The Dawn quoted an emergency services official doctor, as saying.

All injured have been admitted to the CMH and Nishtar hospital, where a state of emergency has been declared.

Television images showed relief teams rushing injured people to hospitals and several damaged buildings.

Unconfirmed reports said that the ISI building was also among the buildings damaged in the blast.

The nature of the blast was yet to be ascertained till the reports last came in.

This was the fifth consecutive blast in the country in the last couple of days.

On Monday, Lahore was rocked by two powerful bomb blasts, which killed 38 people and injured over 100.

The blasts occurred in the crowded Moon Market situated in the Allama Iqbal Town.

Soon after the blasts, which occurred 30 seconds apart from each other at 8.45 in the evening, a severe fire engulfed the market place, which made relief and rescue operations more difficult.

Earlier in the day, in Peshawar, a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Session Court complex entrance killing nine people and injuring over 45.

This was the second attack in less than a month, which targeted the court premises in Peshawar. Earlier on November 19, a suicide bomber had killed 19 people outside the Peshawar Judicial Complex. (ANI)