Karachi airport blast: Death toll rises to three, including two Chinese nationals

KARACHI: A devastating explosion near Karachi airport on Sunday night left at least three people dead, including two Chinese nationals, and injured 11 others, the Foreign Office confirmed on Monday.

“At around 11 pm on October 6, a convoy carrying Chinese staff of the Port Qasim Electric Power Company (Private) Limited was attacked near the Jinnah International Airport,” the Chinese Embassy said in a statement.

According to the details, the three Chinese nationals have been identified as Li Jun, Wu Chun Zhin, and Li Zhia.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, in a statement, strongly condemned the heinous terrorist attack near Karachi airport last night. “We extend our deepest condolences and sympathies to the families of the victims, both Chinese and Pakistani, and offer prayers for the swift recovery of the injured,” it added.

FO further said that Pakistan’s security and law enforcement agencies will spare no effort in apprehending the perpetrators and their facilitators. “This barbaric act will not go unpunished.”

The outlawed Majeed Brigade of the banned Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) claimed responsibility for the attack.

The blast was so powerful that it could be heard across town as far as Clifton and sparked conflicting accounts regarding its cause. Additionally, footage from the scene showed multiple vehicles engulfed in flames.

Authorities initially oscillated between labeling it an IED (improvised explosive device) blast and an explosion triggered by a vehicle colliding with an oil tanker.

Police surgeon Dr. Summaiya Syed reported that the bodies of the two Chinese nationals and a Pakistani were taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), where autopsies were performed. Moreover, ten injured individuals were also brought to JPMC, including one in critical condition. Four were discharged after receiving first aid.

Following the explosion, the Airport Security Force sealed the airport’s entry and exit points and cordoned off the area. Flights from Karachi continued as usual, with agencies investigating the cause.

Chinese embassy seeks probe

The Chinese Embassy strongly condemned the “terrorist attack,” offering condolences to the victims’ families and sympathies to the injured. The embassy urged Pakistan to thoroughly investigate, punish the perpetrators, and ensure the safety of Chinese citizens and interests in Pakistan.

The embassy and consulate generals were “making every effort to handle the aftermath together with the Pakistani side”, it added.

“The Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in Pakistan remind 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 statement read.