2016年CRI Death Toll of Pakistan Attack Rises to 72

 

The explosion happened in the parking area of Lahore's Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, close to the children's swings.

The park is a popular site for the city's Christian¹ community, many of whom had gone there to celebrate Easter.

Many of the victims were women and children. A witness at the site describes the horror of the scene.

"Look at the blood on my hand. I was getting calls from home, people asking where I was. Yes everyone has to die one day, but kids were screaming, they were taken to the hospital on rickshaws and vehicles. There were few ambulances. They have arrived now and have started helping² people."

Lahore is the capital city of Pakistan's Punjab Province. Abdul Hameed Gul is a provincial³ lawmaker from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League. He says Sunday's attack has put the local authorities on full alert.

"The chief minister of Punjab is monitoring the situation minute by minute after this sad incident in Lahore. The entire Punjab government and all its agencies are active. All hospitals have been issued red alerts, and all doctors' leave has been cancelled."

Dozens of women and children were wheeled into hospitals. Many of the injured were transported to hospitals in taxis and auto-rickshaws due to a shortage of ambulances. Hundreds of citizens arrived outside hospitals to donate blood.

A spokesperson for Punjab Province says the local hospital administration has identified and handed over the bodies of 54 victims to their relatives.

The Pakistani Minister of Ports and Shipping⁴ Karman Michael, who is also a Christian community leader, condemned⁵ the attack and called on all of Pakistan to address the issue of terrorism.

"We are really, really sad and feeling so upset because it is a day of our worship, it is a day of our holy festival and the terrorists has attacked on the innocent people. So we strongly condemned on the behalf of the government, on the behalf of the leader of our community. And I would like to say that it is our responsibility as a nation that we have to face all these circumstances."

Jamaat ul Ahrar, a Pakistani faction⁶ of the Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, which was reportedly carried out by a local 28-year-old man.

Soon after the attack, the Punjab government ordered all public parks to be closed and announced three days of mourning in the province. The main shopping areas were shut down and many of the city's main roads were deserted⁷.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President Mamnoon Hussain condemned the blast, along with countries such as the US, Turkey, Canada and India.

Pakistan has a population of 190 million. It has been plagued by a Taliban insurgency⁸. Punjab is its biggest and wealthiest province and has been traditionally more peaceful than other parts of the country.

For CRI, I'm Victor Ning.

1 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

2 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

3 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

4 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

5 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

6 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

7 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

8 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网