KARACHI: Four people, including three Chinese nationals, were killed and two others injured as a van caught fire after suicide blast near Confucius Institute at University of Karachi on Tuesday.
According to a report, Chinese teachers were coming from hostel to the Department of Confucious Studies in a van when the blast took place. The van caught after the explosion near the Confucius Institute, a non-profit institute teaching Chinese language to local pupils. As a result, four people, including three Chinese, were killed and two others injured.
Three Chinese victims were identified as Confucius Institute Director Huang Guiping, Ding Mupeng, and Chen Sa while a Pakistani national, driver Khalid, was also among the dead. The injured were Wang Yuqing and Hamid.
The explosion took place at the van’s right side where a woman suicide bomber was seen waiting for the van, said police. Police and rescue officials rushed to the scene and shifted the injured to a local hospital.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah today visited Chinese Consulate to express sorrow and grief with the Chinese Consul General Mr Li Bijian.
Mr Shah assured the consul general that the culprits would be brought to book. Shah told the consul general that his government would make all the arrangements to send the dead bodies to China for which he needed consulates guidance.
Mr Shah convey the condolence messages of PPPP President Asif Zardari and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto to the Chinese Consul General. He said that they have condemned the incident in strong words.
Chinese Consul General Mr Li Bijian thanked the chief minister for his visit and said he was in contact with the families of three Chinese nationals killed in the blast. “Whatever decision is taken in respect of shifting the dead bodies back to China would be informed to the Sindh government,” Mr Li Bijian said.
Meanwhile, the chief minister has also directed IG Police to conduct a security audit of Chinese nationals living in Sindh under CPEC and non-CPEC related projects and report him.
Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Sindh in charge, Raja Umar Khattab said that the blast that targeted a van carrying Chinese nationals to Karachi University’s Confucius Institute was a suicide attack, carried out by a woman.
According to ARY News, in-charge CTD Raja Umar Khattab said the explosives used in the blast were not locally made. A schoolbag like a device was made and was attached with a bag of a suicide bomber woman, he added.
