One person was killed and 12 injured in a bomb blast late Thursday in Karachi, police said, just two weeks after a suicide attack by a Pakistan separatist group killed four in the same city.
The explosion tore through the Saddar neighbourhood of Pakistan's most populous city at around 11:00 pm (local time).
The blast took place in the commercial locality of Saddar, which remains crowded at night because of the presence of restaurants and eateries on Daud Pota Road near the city’s oldest United Bakery.
The explosion caused substantive damage to property, including vehicles, in the area. Footage from the site showed a vehicle belonging to the Pakistan Coast Guards was also damaged in the explosion.
Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mushtaq Ahmed Mahar informed Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah that an improvised explosive device (IED) was used, said the latter's spokesperson in a statement.
According to the preliminary probe report, it appeared that the IED was attached to a motorbike, the IGP was quoted as saying, reported Pakistani newspaper Dawn.
An emergency has been imposed in all public hospitals of Karachi, while sources at the Jinnah Hospital said that the condition of four individuals is serious.
Hospital sources added that the people brought to the hospital have sustained injuries caused by ball-bearings.
Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab reached Jinnah Hospital to inquire after the injured of the blast, where he was given a briefing regarding medical treatment being given to the injured, reported The Tribune.
Murtaza Wahab directed the administration to ensure the best medical facilities for the injured.
On April 27, a suspected female suicide bomber killed three Chinese teachers outside the Karachi university.
A separatist group, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) based in southwestern Balochistan province bordering Afghanistan and Iran, claimed responsibility for the blast.
China has made massive energy and infrastructure investments in Balochistan under a $54 billion scheme known as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
However the programme has put Chinese citizens in the crosshairs of Baloch separatists, who say local residents do not see their fair share of riches from natural resources in the region.
