Up to 30 killed in Pakistani voter blast

BUNER, Pakistan, Dec. 28 (UPI) -- A bomb exploded among voters in Pakistan's North West Frontier province Sunday, killing up to 30 people, including several children, authorities said.

The bombing came as residents gathered at a school in the Buner district to vote in a parliamentary by-election, with some voters bringing their children along, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Up to four youngsters were reported to be among the dead, with some local Pakistani news accounts indicating the attacker lured bystanders by pretending to be having mechanical difficulties with his car, then blowing it up when a crowd had gathered around it.

However, other witnesses told local news outlets the bomber rammed the vehicle into the school's boundary wall, the Times said. In either case, a massive explosion littered the street with bodies and left wounded people screaming for help as the school's roof caved in. One local report said 20 people were wounded.

Pakistan's prime minister, president and other political leaders condemned the blast and ordered authorities to conduct thorough investigations into the incident, KUNA, the Kuwaiti news agency, reported.