Sunday, March 20 2005 10:05 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Quetta (Pakistan): At least 35 people were killed and many injured when a powerful bomb ripped through a crowd gathered near the shrine of a Sufi Muslim saint in south-western Pakistan, officials said.

The home-made device exploded as pilgrims were eating dinner at around 10:30 pm local time (23:00 IST) yesterday (Mar 19, 2005) in the remote town of Fatahpur, around 300 kilometres from Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province, officials said.

"I can confirm that 35 bodies have been counted," local district administrator Mahmood Mari told agencies.

Many more were injured but it was unclear how many, because most of them were rushed to hospitals in nearby areas as the town has only basic medical facilities.

"I saw 25 bodies myself. People were crying and there were pools of blood," Mohammad Amin Umrani, the mayor of neighbouring Naseerabad, said.

Between 10,000 and 20,000 had gathered for an annual pilgrimage at the shrine of saint Cheesal Shah, and many were having their evening meals when the bomb went off, said Syed Kami Shah, the brother of the shrine's custodian.

Sufism is a semi-mystical branch of Islam that believes music, dance and song are ways of reaching God. Devotees from the rival Sunni and Shiite sects were at the site, as well as a number of Hindus, Shah added.

A second, unexploded homemade bomb was found near the shrine shortly after the first device detonated, Umrani said. It was removed safely.

There was no indication if the bombs were linked to longstanding sectarian tensions in Pakistan, or to an escalating tribal rebellion that has hit Baluchistan in the last year.