Lahore rocked by blasts

Three explosions were reported in Pakistan’s Lahore city on Thursday morning, with local authorities establishing a security cordon and sealing the area, Pakistani media has reported.

The blasts were reportedly heard in quick succession in the Gopal Nagar and Naseerabad areas of Lahore near the Walton Airport. Footage showed people fleeing their homes in panic, with witnesses describing clouds of smoke rising into the air, Geo News reported.

Emergency sirens went blaring after the blast while police and fire brigade personnel rushed to the site. The area lies near Lahore’s posh central business district and the Lahore army cantonment.

Preliminary reports said the explosions occurred during a training exercise of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), although the exact reason behind the explosions remains unclear and no official word on it has come yet.

Visuals on social media showed people rushing out of their homes in panic and black smoke billowing from a building situated on the premises.

As a precautionary measure, flight operations at the Lahore, Karachi and Sialkot airports have been shut.