Karachi: At least 12 people were killed and several more injured Saturday by a gas blast in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi, police said.
The explosion went off in a bank building in the Sher Shah area and social media and TV footage showed the two-floor structure’s windows and doors blown out, with documents scattered across a wide area.
Cars and motorcycles parked nearby were also damaged.
Provincial police told AFP a bomb disposal squad was investigating, but “apparently the leakage of gas was the cause”.
They said 12 people had been confirmed killed, and 13 were being treated for injuries.
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Explosions caused by faulty gas cylinders – which are used for cooking as well as in cars – are common in Pakistan.
Karachi, which is responsible for 60 percent of Pakistan’s economic output, has long endured creaky infrastructure, illegal construction, and failing municipal services.
