At least 10 people – six women and four children – were killed and several others injured when a bomb exploded in a mini-truck in Karachi’s Baldia Town on Saturday.
Senior official of the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), Raja Umer Khattab, said that initial investigations showed that it was a grenade attack. He said that the grenade exploded before it could hit the floor of the vehicle. He said that initial investigations showed that the attackers were on a motorcycle.
South Zone DIG Javed Akbar Riaz said that the incident took place around 9:45pm and the truck was carrying between 20-25 people. The passengers were returning home after attending a marriage ceremony, he said.
Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) officials, investigating the crime scene, said that a mini-truck was attacked from the right side with a hand grenade. “There were no explosives on the vehicle prior to the incident,” they added.
The police and Rangers personnel cordoned off the area after the incident and further investigation is underway.
Additional police surgeon Dr Qarar Abbasi said that 10 dead bodies had been brought to the Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital. Six women and four children were among the victims. He said that 10 others who were injured in the incident had been brought to the hospital for treatment. He said that all four of the deceased children were male and between 10 to 12 years of age.
Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab took notice of the incident and sought details from the Keamari SSP. In a statement, he said that investigators were probing the incident from different angles. Expressing regret over the loss of human lives, the administrator directed officials to provide the best possible medical treatment to those who were injured.
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, while taking notice of the incident, sought report from DG Rangers and IG Sindh. He said that the incident should be investigated from all angles, adding that federal institutions would fully cooperate with the Sindh government.
Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah directed police officials and the district administration to shift the injured to nearby hospitals. The chief minister also sought a report from the provincial transport minister about the vehicle, enquiring whether the truck belonged to Sindh or another province. He also directed the transport minister to provide details about the vehicle’s fitness certificate and the cause of the explosion. Shah directed the health secretary to shift the injured to the Burns Centre of Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital Karachi for treatment.
