i just talked to my cousin in karachi and she said there were actually 7 blasts...
so sad
i'm worried about my family there...and theyre really freaked out too because things have been pretty decent for the past few yrs..now its all going haywire
The Associated Press: 6 explosions wound 37 in Karachi, Pakistan
6 explosions wound 37 in Karachi, Pakistan
By ASHRAF KHAN – 1 hour ago
KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — A string of small explosions wounded at least 37 people Monday in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, rattling the country a day after a deadly suicide attack in the capital, officials said
Five men were detained in connection with the blasts, a police official said.
The six blasts came within about an hour of each other, striking residential and commercial spots in the teeming port city, where political and militant-related violence is common.
Television footage showed ambulances rushing people through Karachi's crowded streets, and victims lying in hospital beds with bloody bandages.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, just as there has not been for the Sunday blast in Islamabad, which left at least 18 people dead, most of them police officers.
Liaqat Memon, an official at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, said 37 people including eight children were hurt. One adult was in critical condition.
At least 2,000 people gathered at the hospital in central Karachi, where many of the victims were taken. People were searching for friends and relatives among the wounded.
Babar Khattak, Sindh province police chief, said that it appeared that about 5 ounces to 7 ounces of explosives were used in each of the six Karachi blasts — only enough to create a relatively small explosion. He confirmed the detention of the five men.
"It seems the series of blasts was carried out to create harassment and fear among the citizens," Khattak said. He also noted that the areas struck had large Pashtun populations and said the explosions may have been aimed at creating ethnic unrest.
Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik said the blasts appeared to have been pre-planned and aimed at destabilizing the city. It was not clear how many of the wounded were civilians.
Two of the bombs were apparently planted in a taxi stand and a pickup truck full of scrap, according to Wasim Ahmed, Karachi's police chief.
Karachi is Pakistan's main port and commercial hub. In October, former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto narrowly escaped a suicide attack there that struck a rally of thousands of supporters welcoming her home from exile.
More than 140 people were killed in that attack. Bhutto was later slain in a separate attack in December in Rawalpindi.
Khattak said security forces had intensified patrols in the affected Karachi areas Monday.
Karachi residents appeared frustrated at the latest events.
"We are living in fear already. Such kinds of blasts further aggravate our feelings," said Abdul Karim, a vendor near the hospital. "But you can't help it. It's our destiny."
Associated Press Writer Sadaqat Jan contributed to this report
6 bomb blasts in karachi within an hour of each other
