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Pakistan blast kills 4, injures 48: minister

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Islamabad, March 2,IRNA -- At least 4 people were killed and some 48 injured in a car bomb blast near the American consulate in the Pakistani southern port city of Karachi early Thursday, a provincial minister said.

Sindh Province's Home Minister Rauf Siddiqi confirmed four deaths in the blast after reports put the death toll at four.

TV channels reported that one paramilitary soldier was among the dead.

Several paramilitary soldiers are among the injured.

Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed ruled out any impact of the blast on the visit of President George W Bush, who is likely to arrive in Pakistan on Friday.

"The visit will be on schedule," Rashid told Aaj TV channel.

Reports suggest that the blast occurred in the parking lot of the five-star Marriot Hotel, close to the US consulate, destroying some 25 cars in the park and nearby areas.

The venue of the blast is part of the high security zone because several important government and private buildings are located in the area including the US consulate, the governor's and chief minister's houses and a five-star hotel.

Eye witnesses said that the first blast happened in a car around 9:15 am followed by another blast, but reports said it was a blast in a fuel tanker.

The injured were shifted to the Pakistan Navy Hospital and Jinnah Hospital. Some of the injured are in critical condition.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Information Minister Sheikh Rashid said the blast was the work of miscreants who want to defame Pakistan.

The blasts smashed windows of nearby buildings and destroyed a small hotel in a street close to the blast site.

Paramilitary rangers and police cordoned the area after the blasts and ambulances shifted the injured to hospitals.

A bomb disposal squad searched several cars parked in the area to check if explosives were hidden in any other car.

"I saw smoke in the area after I heard the first explosion," an eyewitness, Nasir Arayen, told Geo television.

"It was a huge blast," Arayen said.

Another eyewitness, Ali Mohammad, who runs a shop in the area, said the first blast occurred in a car and followed by a second blast in another car.

Fire brigades were called to extinguish the fires in the two cars.

2020/235/2321/1422