Islamabad: At least one person was killed and seven injured when a roadside bomb exploded near a religious seminary vehicle early today (July 24, 2004) in the Pakistani port city of Karachi, police said.

"It was a timer bomb fixed at the footpath near Northern part of the city. When the van came near it, the bomb blew off," senior police officer of the city, Munir Khoro, said.

The van was carrying staff and students of Jamia al-Rasheedia Trust whose bank accounts have been seized by Government on suspicion of aiding al-Qaeda members in the country and abroad.

The dead man was identified as Mohammed Azam, an electrician at the seminary, while the seven injured were all students, police said.

Meanwhile, police dismissed initial reports that the explosion occurred inside the vehicle. No one has claimed responsibility for the blast. For several months Karachi, housing over 15 million people, has been experiencing sectarian violence by extremist groups have the Sunni and Shia communities.

The violence increased recently after Pakistan stepped up crackdown on al-Qaeda militants in tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. Today's is the first incident of violence after last month's attack on the Pakistani army's corps commander in which he survived but several Army and police officials were killed.