HYDERABAD, Nov 15: Two men were killed and nine injured when a powerful bomb went off in bus carrying passenger at Society Chowk here on Friday.

The Kotri-bound bus (JA-0339), after leaving the terminus in front of Circular Building, had hardly moved 20 feet when a powerful bomb exploded in it killing two people.

The deceased were identified as Mohammad Riaz son of Faisal, resident of Jhang, and Mehmood, the cleaner was from Kotri.

Those injured included Ameerzada, Mohammad Ashraf, the conductor, Akhtar Zaman, Zulfikar, Habibullah, Abdullah, Nawab, Ibrahim Leghari, and Mohammad Yousuf Leghari.

Mohammad Ashraf’s condition is said to be serious.

The bomb disposal squad could only find few fragments of the explosive device.

The driver, Gul Hassan, was being interrogated by the police.

The device, which is said to have been kept under a seat on the left side of the bus, exploded when the cleaner touched it, one of the injured man told Dawn at the Civil Hospital.

The Rapid police officials rushed to the scene, followed by the regional police officer, Abdul Rauf Yousufzai, the district Nazim, Dr Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman, and the DCO, Mir Hussain Ali.

When asked if the blast could be linked to Mir Aimal Kasi’s execution, Yousufzai said it would be premature to say anything at the moment.