Bomb planted in car explodes, injures three people in Karachi

Police revise their initial assessment of blast from cylinder explosion to planted low-intensity magnetic bomb.

KARACHI: A man, his son and their driver were wounded when a low-intensity bomb attached to their car exploded near NIPA in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi on Wednesday evening.

Following the incident, extra contingent of law enforcers reached the site. Bomb disposal squad was also called at the site to ascertain the nature of the explosion. As a result of the explosion, one track of the bridge near NIPA was shut for traffic.

Initially, police claimed that the explosion was the result of a gas cylinder exploding. However, closer inspection of the golden coloured Toyota Corolla car revealed that cause of the explosion was no accident.

“It seems that a magnetic bomb device was used in the incident,” said Gulshan division SP Muqaddas Raza while talking to The Express Tribune. “We have called the bomb disposal experts to ascertain the actual nature of the blast.”

SP Raza said that the father and his son sustained minor injuries while their driver was wounded critically in the blast. Further investigations were underway. The injured were rushed to Abbasi Shaheed hospital.

DSP Nasir Lodhi said that initial investigation had revealed that the car belonged to Javed Zaidi, the owner of a private travel company. He was returning home with his son and driver when the bomb went off.

Police officials said that the motive behind the bombing was yet to be ascertained.

Man burnt to death

In another incident, an elderly man was burnt to death when an explosion took place at the Zulfikarabad Oil Tanker terminal within the limits of Steel Town police station.

The deceased was identified as Achar, 60.

SHO Azhar Ali Iqbal said that the explosion took place when deceased lit a match while cleaning the oil tanker. The light set alight fumes. The deceased suffered fatal burn injuries.