Twin blasts today ripped through a Shia-dominated area of the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi, killing 28 people and wounding 80 others.
The first blast occurred outside an Imambargah (Shia prayer hall) in Abbas Town at about 7 P.M. As people were leaving after prayers. The second explosion went off in the same area within 10 minutes, witnesses said.
The explosions caused extensive damage to residential buildings and destroyed several shops in the area, senior police officials said.
The injured and deceased included women and children. Many victims were trapped under the rubble as teams worked to rescue them.
"Initial investigations show the first blast was of low intensity and planted in a motorcycle and the second one was of high intensity which went off in a car," DSP Qamar Ahmed said.
A police officer, Usman Arian, said the blasts had completely destroyed some blocks of a residential apartment close to the site, dozens of shops and two banks.
Seemi Jamali, a doctor at the state-owned Jinnah hospital, confirmed that they have recorded 10 deaths and were treating around 40 injured.
Another doctor at the Patel hospital, which is located close to Abul Isphani road, confirmed that they had received eight bodies and four more people succumbed to injuries in hospital.
