One person was killed and 11 others injured in an explosion near Karachi airport on Sunday night, police confirmed, with sounds of the blast heard in various areas.
Television footage showed smoke rising from the area near the airport, with a blazing fire visible on the road.
While no details have yet surfaced regarding the exact location of the blast, media reports said that the entire area surrounding the airport has been cordoned off while a search operation is in progress.
The reports added that at all entry and exit points to the airport have been closed by the law enforcement agencies, while no information has been provided by airport authorities regarding flight operations.
A spokesman for Rescue 1122 Sindh said in a statement said that Central Command and Control Rescue 1122 received the information and the team of Rescue 1122 along with the ambulance reached the scene.
A statement from the office of the Sindh Home Minister Zia Ul Hassan Lanjar said that a tanker exploded on Airport Road, adding that he has been in contact with the Malir senior superintendent of police (SSP) regarding the incident.
“We need to ascertain the facts,” the statement said.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has taken notice of the incident and ordered that the injured be provided with the best medical aid. According to a press statement from the CM’s spokesperson Rasheed Channa, the CM has asked the Sindh Police chief for a report on the incident, as well as detailed information on the cause of the explosion.