Peshawar, Feb 16: A remote-controlled bomb went off in Quetta city of southwest Pakistan today, killing at least 47 people and wounding more than 200, police said.
"At least 47 people have been killed and 200 more wounded; the death toll may rise. It was a remote-controlled bomb," sources quoted Wazir Khan Nasir, a top police officer in Quetta, as saying.
The explosion occurred on Kirani Road, a neighbourhood of Quetta with a sizeable Shia population that has been targeted by terrorists in the past.
All the dead were from the Hazara community and the casualties might rise as the bomb caused lot of damage, Mr Nasir said.
The injured were taken to nearby hospitals. Officials described the condition of several of them as serious.
The bomb, which was planted in an auto-rickshaw, blew out windows and damaged several residential buildings and shops. Footage on television showed a plume of smoke rising into the sky after the blast.
Security forces cordoned off the area and the bomb disposal squad searched the area.
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the blast.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
On January 10, a twin suicide attack in Quetta killed 92 Hazaras - the highest toll in a single attack.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 16 Feb 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 16 Feb 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 17 Feb 2013 00:00:00 IST