UPDATE - Explosion hits upmarket area in Pakistan's second city

UPDATES DEATH TOLL; ADDS POLICE STATEMENT; EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - Nine people were killed and dozens injured in an explosion in Lahore on Thursday, police said.

The death toll in a blast which hit an under-construction building in the northeastern city rose to nine when one of the injured died in hospital, police and local media said.

Officer Amin Wains said the cause of the blast at an upmarket residential property in the city’s southeast suburbs was unclear, broadcaster Geo News reported.

Deputy Inspector General Haider Ashraf said a gas leak may have caused the incident, which also devastated a shopping area.

Initially Punjab’s Law Minister Rana Sanaullah told reporters eight people had been killed and 21 injured -- four of them critically -- in the 12.30 p.m. local time (0730GMT) explosion.

Investigators, however, were still working to determine the nature of the blast with authorities only confirming the involvement of explosive material in the explosion which left over 20 people injured.

A spokesman for Punjab police's counter-terrorism unit said explosive material had been used in the blast, however, whether it was detonated through remote control or a timer was still unknown.

"Since the building has collapsed, the true picture will emerge later on," the spokesperson added. "Information will be shared with the media as early as possible," a police statement read.

- Investigation starts

However, initial local media reports cited unnamed police officials as saying explosives had been planted inside the building and detonated by remote control, causing the roof collapse.

Investigators suspect the explosive material might have gone off accidentally during the preparation of suicide vests, local Geo TV reported, quoting senior police officials.

The blast shattered the windows of nearby buildings and set vehicles on fire. TV images showed ambulances and police vehicles rushing to the scene and blood-soaked clothing and broken furniture strewn across surrounding streets.

On Feb. 13, a suicide bomber killed more than 20 people during a demonstration outside the Punjab province parliament in Lahore, Pakistan's second largest city.

Thursday’s explosion came a day after security forces launched a counter-terrorism operation following a spate of attacks by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Daesh and associated groups that left more than 100 people dead.