At least 53 people died and 100 more were injured in a blast outside a public park in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore on Sunday, police said as quoted by local media. Most of the injured are women and children.

Earlier police officials said 38 people died.

"At least 38 people were killed and more than 100 are injured," Mustansar Feroz, superintedent of police for the area told Reuters.

"Most of the dead and injured are women and children."

Police say the blast had been carried out by a suicide bomber.
Lahore, Pakistan suicide bomber
© Wikipedia / ReutersGulshan-e-Iqbal Park, Lahore

The explosion happened outside Gulshan Iqbal Park, near the park's parking lot, just outside the exit gate and a few meters away from children's swings.

Reports said the park was crowded due to the Easter holiday weekend.

Jam Sajjad Hussain, spokesman for Recuse 112, told Reuters most of the victims are women and children.

Local media have reported that authorities have been escorting people from the park, which was crowded on Sunday evening.

Waqt News also reports the security personnel have surrounded the area and launched a search operation in and around the park, with rescue teams dispatched to the site.

Pakistan has been suffering from a Taliban insurgency, criminal gangs and sectarian violence in recent years. Lahore is the capital of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's political heartland of Punjab, which is the country's biggest and wealthiest province.