16 killed, 40 injured in Karachi gambling den blast

A powerful bomb went off at a gambling den in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi today, killing 16 people and injuring nearly 40 others, officials said.

The explosion occurred within the compound of a building in Ghasmandi area in the old quarters of Karachi.

A gambling den is located in the ground floor of the building, local residents said. Express 24/7 news channel reported that the blast was part of a fight between two gangs to control the gambling den.

Officials at the Civil Hospital said they had received 16 bodies. Nearly 40 injured were taken to several hospitals. Ten of the injured were in a serious condition, officials said. A large crowd gathered at the site of the blast as local residents helped transport the injured to hospital.

Security forces cordoned off the area shortly after the blast, which was heard from several kilometres away.

Footage on television showed the injured, many with bloodstained clothes, being taken into the Civil Hospital.

Bloodstains and discarded footwear lay scattered at the site of the blast. The explosion caused a crater and many of the injured were hit by splinters. Hundreds of people were present in the gambling den at the time of the blast.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Officials of the bomb disposal squad dismissed an earlier report that the blast was caused by a grenade. They said evidence indicated that a planted bomb was used in the attack.