Blast inside premises of Karachi University
Highlights
- A car exploded inside the premises of the University of Karachi in Sindh province
- The van was transporting lecturers including two foreign nationals
- Initial reports suggest that two Chinese teachers may have been the target of the blast
Several people including foreigners are feared dead in a blast inside the University of Karachi in the Karachi city of Pakistan's Sindh province on Tuesday afternoon. Initial reports suggest that four people lost their lives when a car exploded inside the premises of the university. The deceased persons include two Chinese language teachers, both women.
Local media reports said that the blast took place inside a van near Confucius Institute -- - a non-profit institute teaching Chinese language to local pupils. The van was transporting lecturers including two foreign nationals who were returning after teaching at the university.
Initial information from a reliable police source said that the two Chinese nationals killed in the blast may have been the target of the blast. The two others killed were the driver and security guard in the van while four other people who were close to the van when the blast took place were injured. Three of them are in serious condition.
Videos of the van in which the blast took place were also posted on social media with flames of fire completely destroying the vehicle as police and paramilitary rangers reached the scene immediately and cordoned off the areas.
Police said that there were seven to eight people in the van; however, an exact number of casualties has yet to be reported.
Urdu language Jang newspaper reported that the van was bringing the two foreign nationals who used to teach Chinese at the IBA institute inside the Karachi University from their guesthouse when the blast took place. There were two Rangers personnel behind the van on motorcycles.
Videos of the van in which the blast took place were also posted on social media with flames of fire completely destroying the vehicle as police and paramilitary rangers reached the scene immediately and cordoned off the areas.
This is not the first time Chinese nationals have been the target of terror attacks in Karachi, which is Pakistan's biggest city and economic hub.
