At least 45 people were killed and over a hundred others were injured in an explosion at an Islamist political rally in Pakistan on Sunday.

According to the BBC, members of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) were attending the JUI-F workers’ convention on Sunday in the town of Khar, in the tribal district of Bajaur, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, near the border with Afghanistan, when the unfortunate event happened.

While security forces have barricaded the area as investigation takes place, they however have warned that the death toll may rise further, as several people are in a critical condition.

Pictures which have gone viral showed hundreds of people gathered under a canopy when the blast happened close to the stage.

An eyewitness relayed that the tent suddenly collapsed and desperate people trying to excape the mayhem were trapped.

“Lifeless bodies scattered on the ground while people cried out for help”, he said.

As at Monday , no group has accepted responsibility for carrying out the vicious attack.