KARACHI, Oct 07 (NNI): A massive blast on a road near the airport in Karachi killed three people including two Chinese nationals and injured 17 others with Beijing’s embassy confirming on Monday that its citizens were caught up in the explosion.
According to eye witnesses who heard the explosion near the Jinnah International Airport in Karachi which was also heard in far-off areas liked Qayyumabad, Defence and Jamshed Road.
The target of the explosion was a vehicle carrying foreign nationals. The blast caused a fire which destroyed 12 vehicles including a police mobile van and two rickshaws. The fire-brigade vehicles were called in which doused the blaze.
The Sindh government, however, said on X that a “tanker” had exploded on the airport motorway.
The injured which included Rangers and police personnel were rushed to different hospitals while DIG East Azfar Maheisar said they were trying to ascertain the cause of blast and would not say anything definite until the forensic report is received.
Militant group, the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), said in a statement that it had “targeted a high-level convoy of Chinese engineers and investors” coming from Karachi’s airport.
Meanwhile, Beijing’s embassy in Islamabad said that two Chinese citizens had been killed in a “terror attack” on a convoy of personnel from the Chinese-funded Port Qasim power project.
“A convoy carrying Chinese staff of the Port Qasim Electric Power Company (Private) Limited was attacked near the Jinnah International Airport, Karachi, which caused two Chinese died, one Chinese injured and some local casualties,” the Chinese Embassy in Karachi said in a statement Monday.
The Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in Pakistan strongly condemn this terrorist attack, express deep condolences to the innocent victims of both countries and sincere sympathies to the injured and families, and are making every effort to handle the aftermath together with the Pakistani side.
The Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in Pakistan have launched an emergency plan immediately, requesting the Pakistani side to thoroughly investigate the attack, severely punish the perpetrators, and take all necessary measures to protect the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects in Pakistan.
The Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in Pakistan reminds Chinese citizens, enterprises, and projects in Pakistan to be vigilant, pay close attention to the security situation, strengthen security measures, and make every effort to take safety precautions.
The attack also left one Chinese and several Pakistani citizens wounded, the embassy said.
The embassy urged authorities to “conduct a thorough investigation of the attack and severely punish the killers, while at the same time taking practical measures to fully ensure the safety of Chinese citizens, institutions and projects”.
Civil Aviation Authority said flights from Karachi were continuing “as usual” and “agencies are investigating the cause at the scene of the accident/explosion”.
Meanwhile, the dead bodies of the two Chinese nationals were shifted to Chippa cold storage, where heavy security was also positioned.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed profound sorrow and shock over the tragic incident.
In a message on the social media platform X, PM Sharif said those responsible were enemies of Pakistan.
He noted that the blast resulted in the loss of two valuable Chinese lives and left one injured. He said the perpetrators would not go unpunished. NNI
