A suicide blast occurred during Friday prayers at Imambargah Khadijat-ul-Kubra in the federal capital, Islamabad, leaving 31 people dead and 169 injured.

According to police, the suicide attacker detonated himself after being stopped from entering the mosque.

The Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad said that an emergency has been declared at hospitals across the city following the explosion.

Hospital officials stated that the process of shifting the injured to medical facilities is ongoing. 

So far, 11 bodies and 60 injured persons have been brought to PIMS Hospital. The injured are also being shifted to other hospitals as PIMS has run out of space.

Sources said police and the bomb disposal squad immediately reached the site, cordoned off the area, and are collecting evidence.