At least 10 worshippers were killed and several others injured yesterday when a bomb ripped through a packed mosque in the Pakistani city of Karachi during prayers, a senior government official said.
The bomb was planted among rows of worshippers in the mosque, adjacent to the southern port city's ancient Sindh Madarsahtul Islam School, provincial government advisor Aftab Sheikh said.
The mosque belonged to the minority Shiite Muslim sect, police said.
Sheikh said unconfirmed reports said the blast was carried out by a suicide bomber.
A witness however said a man had left a packet in the mosque shortly before the blast.
"As the rows of worshippers started performing prayer, an un-identified man placed a packet in the sixth row of the congregation and immediately left the mosque," witness Ali Arsalan said.
Panic spread and volunteers rushed casualties to hospital in cars, auto-rickshaws and on motor bikes, witnesses said. The blast blew up part of the mosque roof and shattered windows, witnesses said.
Sheikh said dozens of people had been wounded, several had their limbs severed. Blood spattered on the floor and severed limbs of the victims were seen lying in the mosque.
Many injured were reported to be in critical condition.
Police have cordoned off the mosque as angry members of both Sunni and Shiite communities gathered outside the mosque chanting slogans against the blast.
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