5 killed in Karachi blast

Islamabad/Karachi, October 21

A powerful explosion ripped through a four-storey building in Pakistan’s Sindh province, killing at least five persons and injuring 20 others, the police said.

At least two floors of the building near Maskan Chowrangi in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal area in Karachi were severely damaged, leading authorities to fear that the toll may rise. The death toll in the incident has increased to five, Faisal Edhi of the Edhi Ambulance Service said.

Seven of the injured are said to be in a critical condition. The security forces cordoned off the area after the explosion.

Police chief Mushtaq Mahar said the bomb disposal squad and anti-terrorism officials were yet to determine the cause of the explosion.

A police official said initial investigations suggested that the explosion could have been caused due to gas leak. The official said no trace of an improvised explosive device (IED) was found at the scene.

The incident took place a day after five persons were injured when an IED bomb exploded at the entrance of a bus terminal in the Shireen Jinnah colony area of the city.

Media reports said the explosion was so powerful that it shattered the windows of nearby buildings and also damaged vehicles.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has sought a detailed report of the incident from the authorities. — PTI