The second explosion in Lahore came hours after a blast at another upscale market nearby.
A powerful explosion hit near a second upscale market in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore on Thursday, a government official said, the latest in a new surge of violence across the country.
The explosion reportedly occurred on a main boulevard lined with shopping plazas and restaurants. Pakistan official says second explosion was a tyre blowout and not a bomb, Reuters reported.
The second explosion in Lahore's Gulberg area came hours after a blast at another upscale market killed at least seven people and wounded several.
The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear. "The area has been encircled. Nothing can be said about the nature of blast yet," said Law Minister Punjab Rana Sanaullah.
"There are casualties and injuries but we cannot confirm figures as the rescue operation is under way,"said Punjab police spokesman Nayab Haider.
Initial reports on Pakistani television channel Geo News said a generator had exploded but reports at the scene speculated that a bomb had gone off, based on the extent of the damage.
The Twitter handle of the Government of Punjab posting updates on the incident said it was a generator blast and rescue teams have reached the scene.
A forensic team has reached the location to collect evidence.
A witness who works at a bank in the market said that his workplace was shaken by a "frightening" explosion.
"We left the building and saw that the motor-bikes parked outside were on fire and all the windows in the surrounding buildings were shattered," the witness, Mohammad Khurram, said.
Footage of the scene of the blast posted on Twitter:
Pakistan has been struck by a wave of terrorist attacks in recent weeks, killing at least 130 people across the country and leaving hundreds wounded.The worst of the attacks was at a Sufi shrine in southern Sindh province that killed 90 people in February.
Developing story - more to come
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