Women, children among 9 killed in Karachi truck blast

KARACHI: At least nine people, women and children among them, were killed and as many suffered injuries after a blast happened inside a “mini truck” in Karachi’s Baldia Town Saturday night.

Police said a blast occurred inside a Shehzore truck in Mawach Goth within the jurisdiction of Madina Colony police station. A family comprising 20 to 25 persons were travelling from Faqeera Goth to Sherpao Colony in Landhi when the blast took place.

The family hails from Swat and was returning home after attending a wedding ceremony.

Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) chief Raja Umar Khattab said a hand grenade was tossed in the vehicle by unidentified men after which the explosion occurred. The assailants were riding a motorcycle, he added.

A bomb disposal squad visited the blast site and compiled an initial probe report saying the explosion was caused by a RGD-1 grenade weighing 65 grams.

Initially, Keamari SSP Fida Husain Janwari said that a cylinder blast took place inside a “mini truck”.

The bodies and injured were shifted to Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital.

Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab took notice of the incident and sought a report from the Keamari police.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed also took notice of the blast and sought reports from the Sindh police chief and the Rangers director general. He called for the incident to be investigated from all aspects and assured the provincial government of complete cooperation in this regard.