KARACHI: Four people, including three Chinese nationals, were killed while several others sustained injuries in a car explosion on the premises of the University of Karachi, Geo News reported Tuesday, citing rescue sources.
The explosion occurred at 1:52pm in a van near the Confucius Institute — a Chinese language teaching centre at Karachi University. Following the blast, rescue and security agencies rushed to the location and cordoned off the areas, initiating rescue operations.
The deceased Chinese nationals have been identified as the director of the Confucius Institute Huang Guiping, Ding Mupeng, Chen Sai, and their Pakistani driver Khalid.
Police sources said that there were seven to eight people in the van; however, an exact number of casualties is yet to be determined. The van entered the premises through the Maskan gate, they said.
Two of the injured have been identified as Chinese national Wang Yuqing and a guard named Hamid. Meanwhile, three people are said to be in critical condition, per sources.
The blast was initially reported to have been caused by a gas cylinder. However, the police later said that the blast could have been a suicide attack.
Sources further added that the victims were returning to the Confucius Institute from the Institute of Business Administration (IBA).
The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) East Muqaddas Haider, while speaking to Geo News, said that it is the bomb disposal squad’s responsibility to determine the nature of the blast, adding that the process of identification is underway.
He, however, expressed concerns that the blast could have been a terrorist attack targeting Chinese nationals.
“The police have obtained the CCTV footage of the blast and it is currently being analysed,” Haider said, adding that it is being ascertained whether a woman seen in the footage was the suicide bomber or not.
“The dead body of the woman has been sent for an autopsy she is currently being identified,” he said.
Meanwhile, Karachi Police chief Ghulam Nabi Memon said that according to the initial investigation, a burqa-clad woman may be involved in the suicide blast.
