Toll in suicide attack on Pak Muharram procession climbs to 40

The toll in a suicide attack on a Muharram procession of Shia Muslims here rose to 40 today even as Pakistani authorities struggled to control a major blaze in a market caused by rioting that followed the terror assault.

The toll in a suicide attack on a Muharram procession of Shia Muslims in Karachi rose to 40 on Tuesday even as Pakistani authorities struggled to control a major blaze in a market caused by rioting that followed the terror assault.

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Officials said a total of 40 people had died so far while over 100 injured were being treated in hospitals. The bomber mingled with hundreds of people participating in a procession for the Islamic holy month of Muharram and detonated his explosives on M A Jinnah Road, a key thoroughfare in the heart of Karachi on Monday. About 30 people were killed instantly while others died later in hospital.

The attack, the third terrorist assault on a Shia procession in Karachi, sparked widespread rioting and violence across the city.

Mobs went on the rampage, torching cars and shops, firing in the air and beating up police and paramilitary personnel. Hundreds of shops on M A Jinnah Road and in Boulton Market were set ablaze.

The fire continued to burn till this morning and authorities pressed over 40 fire tenders into service to bring the flames under control. A multi-storey building collapsed in Boulton Market and the fire was exacerbated by chemicals stored in shops dealing in plastics and perfumes, officials said.

Traders' associations estimated that the blaze had caused losses running into crores of rupees.