Karachi: At least 12 persons including a police officer were injured yesterday (Jan 15, 2004) after two bomb blasts hit a car parking area near a church in Pakistan's port city of Karachi, police said.

According to Dr Seemi Jamali in the Jinnah Hospital, Karachi, one of the injured is in critical condition.

The blasts took place at 16.00 hrs (IST) in front of Bible Society, a Christian welfare group, located near Trinity church. Several policemen are among the injured.

"At least eight persons received minor injuries because of shrapnel from damaged vehicles," said Tarid Jamil, deputy inspector general-operations, Karachi police.

The two-parked cars exploded one after the other in a gap of five minutes, witnesses said.

The injured were shifted to Jinnah hospital and the police had cordoned off the area. No one has claimed responsibility for the blasts. Police said that local made explosives were used in the blasts.

Advisor to Sindh Chief Minister Aftab Sheikh, who visited site of the blast, said investigations have started as to who is behind the blast.

He said that blaming any group would be premature.

Bomb disposal squad official Kashif Ejaz said 10 to 12 kilograms of locally made explosives were used in the blast.