KARACHI/ISLAMABAD: At least two people were killed and 11 others, including a foreign national, were injured in a massive explosion near Karachi airport on Sunday night.
Officials were divided over whether the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED) or occurred after a vehicle collided with an oil tanker.
Several policemen and Rangers reached the spot, transporting the injured to nearby hospitals. Footage from the site showed several vehicles engulfed in flames. The Bomb Disposal Squad was deployed to determine the exact cause of the explosion.
Deputy Inspector General (East) Capt (retd) Azfar Mahesar confirmed that two people had died and seven vehicles were destroyed in the explosion. He said that forensic reports would be needed to determine whether it was an act of terrorism or an accident.
While the outlawed Majeed Brigade of the Baloch Liberation Army claimed responsibility for the attack, this claim could not be independently verified.
Police Surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed said that at least nine injured individuals, including a policeman and a woman, were taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre. Two others were transferred to a private hospital in Clifton. The injured included police constable Waqar Ahmed, 28, and several others aged between 28 and 51.
Following the explosion, the Airport Security Force sealed the entry and exit points of the airport, and the road leading to the airport from the Model Colony graveyard was closed to traffic.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah took notice of the incident, instructing police to ensure public safety and requesting a report from the home minister and inspector general of police. He also directed that airport access roads be cleared to prevent inconvenience to passengers.
A Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) statement confirmed that all assets were safe and flight operations were unaffected.
Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori urged caution, stating that the investigation was still underway and speculation should be avoided.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar, who visited the site, said there were indications an IED caused the explosion and noted that a convoy of foreign nationals was passing through the area when the blast occurred.
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