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 reportedly took place at 7 am (local time) heard in quick succession in the Gopal Nagar and Naseerabad areas 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.
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.
Blast in Lahore's high-profile area
The vicinity where the blasts took place is a high-profile area situated close to Pakistan Navy War college and also near the popular Model Town Parkof Lahore.
The Walton Road is a major boulevard in the upscale Gulberg aream that hosts the Liberty Market, hafeez Center, CBD of the Punjab district. The now defunct Walton airstrip also lies in the area.
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