Peshawar Blast – CCTV footage

Closed-Circuit Camera Footage from the Pearl Continental Hotel bomb blast Tuesday, showing the double-cabin van drive through to the parking lot. This van was detonated with 500kg of explosives, killing 16 people, including foreigners.

The relief activities are in progress at the five-star hotel, which was damaged in a powerful blast yesterday night, Geo News reported Wednesday.

The bodies of six people including Hotel Manager Syed Kamal Shah and PIA Captain Muhammed Ayub have been recovered; the other deceased include a staff of UN Population Fund and a security guard.

According to an exclusive footage received by Geo News, first a car entered the hotel, followed by explosive-laden truck, which shot inside the hotel.

DIG Peshawar Range Sifwat Ghayur is heading a team to probe into the blast. The inquiry team said in its preliminary report that at least 500-kilogram of explosives have been used in the blast. The firing preceded the blast; however, the hotel security guard was not injured in the firing.

Many rooms and offices situated at the back of hotel were completely destroyed; their rubble is being removed.

The district administration provided the crane and other equipments for removing the debris; however, the relief workers are facing hardships owing to the unavailability of all the resources for the purpose.

Sifwat Ghayur also claimed to have recovered three bodies of the suicide bombers; however, UN Population Fund repudiated the claim saying they belonged to their organization and all the three personnel—Muhammed Miskeen, Fawwad and Tahir– were sitting in the UN vehicle at the time of blast.

The body of hotel manager Syed Kamal has also been taken out from under the rubble. The body of PIA captain Muhammed Ayub was in room-208, was also recovered.

Body of a security guard also has been recovered from under the rubble. The hotel management said several their staffers including Chief Chef Mateen are still unaccounted for.