Karachi mourns bomb victims
Monday 04 March 2013
Printable
EmailPakistan's largest city Karachi virtually closed down today as thousands attended the funerals of 45 people killed by a car bomb in a Shi'ite Muslim neighbourhood at the weekend.
Educational institutions, businesses and markets closed after the local government announced a day of mourning and Shi'ite groups three days of mourning for those killed in the bombing in the Abbas Town area.
The bomb exploded as worshippers were coming out of mosques, ripping through two apartment blocks. One of the blocks was set on fire and people were left trapped beneath piles of rubble.
Survivors were being housed temporarily in schools today.
There has been no immediate claim of responsibility. But suspicion will fall on banned Sunni extremist organisation Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, which has claimed major attacks on Shi'ites in Quetta.
Rights groups and ordinary citizens have strongly criticised the government for failing to stop sectarian murders and bombings.
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