In a blast that authorities believe to have been a suicide bombing that occurred Friday outside a mosque in Balochistan’s Mastung district, at least 34 people were killed, including a police officer, and more than 130 others were injured, Dawn.com reported.

Dr Saeed Mirwani, chief executive officer of Shaheed Nawab Ghous Bakhsh Raisani Memorial Hospital confirmed the casualties to Dawn.com, while City Station House Officer (SHO) Mohammad Javed Lehri said a police official was among the dead.

Earlier, Mastung Assistant Commissioner (AC) Attahul Munim said 15 people were killed due to the explosion while more than 50 were injured.

He added that the explosion took place when people were gathering for an Eid-i-Miladun Nabi procession near Madina Masjid at Alfalah Road.

The Mastung AC stated that the blast took place by the car of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Nawaz Gishkori who was to remain on the sidelines of the procession.

Meanwhile, SHO Lehri said the explosion was a “suicide blast”.

Meanwhile, interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Ahmed Bugti strongly condemned the blast and expressed his grief at the loss of lives.

Erica Robin, a model from Karachi has been crowned “Miss Universe Pakistan 2023”, becoming the first-ever woman from the country to win the title.

Four other models from different parts of the country participated in the beauty pageant, including Hira Inam from Lahore, Jessical Wilson from Rawalpindi, Pakistani-American Malika Alvi from Pennsylvania, and Sabrina Wasim. Jessica Wilson, a 28-year-old cyber security engineer was named first runner-up while Hira Inam (24), Malyka Alvi (19), and Sabrina Wasim (26) were the rest of the finalists.

Award-winning actress, mental health advocate, and former Miss International Kylie Verzosa from the Philippines was one of the distinguished panel of judges who picked the winner.

Robin will be the official representative of Pakistan at the Miss Universe pageant, scheduled to be held in El Salvador later this year. Pakistan will be sending five models to compete in the prestigious Miss Universe pageant. This landmark moment marks the first time Pakistan has ever been represented in the world’s most esteemed beauty competition.

According to state TV, the number of fatalities following a strong 6.8-magnitude earthquake that shook Morocco on Friday night has surpassed 2,000. The death toll makes it the deadliest earthquake to strike the nation of North Africa in decades.

Also Read: Powerful earthquake in Morocco kills more than 800 people

Rescue teams are reportedly struggling to reach the most affected areas, with roads blocked by debris. One witness said “we are hoping for miracles from the rubble,” CNN reported.

The epicenter was in the High Atlas mountains, about 72 kilometers (45 miles) southwest of Marrakech, a popular tourist city of about 840,000 people. The city’s historic walls, first laid out in the early 12th century, have been damaged.

The quake was the most powerful to shake the area surrounding Marrakech in more than 120 years, according to the US Geological Survey.