A powerful explosion outside the airport of the city of Karachi in Pakistan on Sunday killed two people and at least eight were injured, the Associated Press reported, citing BTA, citing official representatives.
The victims are Chinese nationals.
According to the police and local authorities, a fuel tanker exploded in front of the airport, which is the largest in the country.
A statement from the Chinese embassy in Pakistan said that a convoy carrying Chinese employees of the “Port Qasim” power company was attacked around 11pm local time. The explosion killed two Chinese citizens and injured another. There are also Pakistanis among the victims.
The Chinese statement described the explosion as a “terrorist attack”. The Beijing Embassy calls for a thorough investigation and punishment of the perpetrators and reminds Chinese citizens in Pakistan to take precautions for their safety.
„The Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in Pakistan strongly condemn this act of terrorism and express their deepest condolences to (the relatives of) the innocent victims on both sides,” the statement said.
Regional Interior Minister Zia ul Hassan said on local Geo TV that it was an attack targeting foreign nationals.
Thousands of Chinese workers are in Pakistan, most of them working on the multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative, which connects South and Central Asia to the Chinese capital.
Videos from the scene show cars engulfed in flames and a plume of thick smoke. The area is cordoned off and military units are stationed in it.