A police official building, where a large number of people had gathered for worship, had collapsed and that several people were believed to be trapped under the rubble. Authorities said they suspect a suicide bombing.

A suspected suicide attack near a mosque in the city of Peshawar in northwestern Pakistan left dozens of people killed and many more injured, local authorities said on Monday.

Police and hospital officials told DW's Haroon Janjua in Pakistan that at least 25 people had been killed and more than 80 injured.

There are fears that the death toll will continue to rise as emergency services clear the rubble, and many of those who have been taken to hospital were listed in "critical condition."

"A portion of the building had collapsed and several people are believed to be under it," police official Sikandar Khan said told Reuters news agency.

What do we know about the blast?

The explosion came as worshippers gathered for daily prayers. Initial estimates suggested that at least 150 people had been inside at the time.

The blast occured in the city's government district on Police Lines Road. Authorities said many of the victims were believed to be police officers.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the bombing, promising "stern action" against those responsible.

Although no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, local police told reporters that initial evidence suggested a suicide attack. Such attacks in the past have often been at the hands of the Pakistani Taliban.

Peshawar in the capital of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan.

es/rt (AFP, Reuters, AP)

DW