A blast at a Shi'ite mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, has killed at least 31 people and injured over 160 during Friday afternoon prayers

A blast at a Shi'ite mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, has killed at least 31 people and injured over 160 during Friday afternoon prayers

A blast at a Shi'ite mosque in Islamabad, Pakistan, has killed at least 31 people and injured over 160 during Friday afternoon prayers

At least 15 people have been reported dead and 80 injured after a explosions ripp[ed through a Shi’ite Muslim mosque in Qasr-e-Khadijatul Kubra, in Pakistan's Islamabad during Friday prayers.

The explosion is believed to have been caused by a suicide bomber who arrived during afternoon prayers. Wyewitnesses said that the attacker detonated the bomb prematurely after being stopped at the gate, the Times of Islamabad reported. Video footage of the blast site showed that the explosion caused heavy damage to the gate structure and shattered windows of nearby buildings.

Dead bodies and limbs were also seen in the videos.

The Islamabad Inspector General of Police declared a city-wide emergency following the attack.

The injured have been rushed to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and Polyclinic Hospital.