Three Killed, More Than A Dozen Injured In Pakistan Explosion

At least three people were killed and more than a dozen were injured when a powerful explosion shook the southern Pakistani city of Karachi on October 21, officials said.

The blast took place in an apartment building in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, a large working-class residential and commercial neighborhood in the port city's Karachi East district.

Police and the paramilitary Ranger Force cordoned off the area, but did not comment on the cause of the explosion, which is still unknown.

The loud blast hit the apartment building in the morning as people were leaving for work, said Sajjad Ali from the Edhi Foundation, a charity involved in the rescue.

"We have pulled out three dead bodies and around 15 injured people," Ali said.

At least half of the injured people were in critical condition and the death toll could rise, he added.

Several people are feared still trapped in a residential apartment and a bank on the ground floor of the multistory building, Ali said.

With reporting by dpa