Audio By Carbonatix
A bomb killed 11 people in a poor district of Pakistan's financial hub of Karachi on Wednesday, mostly teenagers playing street football at a crowded market, officials said.
The sweltering port of 18 million people is largely inured to violence - around a dozen bodies are found around the city every day - but the killing of so many youngsters shocked many residents.
"There was total chaos when the bomb went off. People were screaming and running for safety," said resident Zafar Baluch.
It was unclear who was behind the blast in the Lyari district, a stronghold of the main opposition Pakistan People's Party. Karachi is home to many militant groups, including the Taliban. Many political parties there have armed wings to fight turf wars.
The attack appeared to be aimed at a provincial minister, Javed Nagori, who had come to hand out prizes at the football match, said provincial information minister Sharjeel Memon.
The children had been playing while their parents shopped for the upcoming Muslim holiday of Eid. In the run-up to Eid, many markets open all night since residents are fasting during the day.
"There was smoke everywhere and people were covered in glass," said Sheree, who didn't want to give her last name. She was near Nagori's convoy when the blast knocked her off her feet. She saw the bodies of three children, she said.
In the capital of Islamabad, security forces have been put on high alert until the holiday is over.
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Tags:
DISCLAIMER: The Views, Comments, Opinions, Contributions and Statements made by Readers and Contributors on this platform do not necessarily represent the views or policy of Multimedia Group Limited.
Latest Stories
-
People on the ground recognise the gains – IMF backs BoG strategy
60 minutes -
Oil prices slide on hopes of US-Iran peace deal
1 hour -
Italy busts €300 million streaming piracy ring
1 hour -
Texas sues Meta, WhatsApp over encryption privacy claims
2 hours -
US appeals court revives $82 million of verdict against Ford in trade secrets case
2 hours -
Activision shareholders reach $250m settlement over Microsoft buyout
2 hours -
Google appeals US court ruling on search monopoly
2 hours -
QNET, Manchester City Host Grassroots Football Clinic in Ghana
2 hours -
StanChart CEO Bill Winters apologises for ‘upset caused’ by AI comments
2 hours -
Grok falls flat in Washington, undercutting SpaceX’s AI growth story
2 hours -
Stakeholders demand urgent intervention in Ghana Swimming Association crisisÂ
4 hours -
Labourer remanded for allegedly robbing financial consultant
5 hours -
Two granted GH¢200K bail each over maize fraud
5 hours -
Panama backs Morocco’s autonomy plan on Sahara dispute
5 hours -
King Mohammed VI pardons Senegalese fans convicted during AFCON
5 hours