KARACHI: A loud explosion was heard in various parts of Karachi including Nazimabad, North Karachi, Orangi Town, Lyari, Banaras and Manghopir Tuesday night around 10:20 pm but despite over two hours of efforts, police and rescue officials were unable to locate the origin of the blast.

Till the filing of this report, there was no confirmation on the origin of the noise that triggered fear and panic in large parts of Karachi.

There were rumours on social media about a plane crash in Manghopir but Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) spokesman Pervaiz George immediately denied such reports, saying that air traffic was normal and that reports suggesting a plane had crashed were not true.

The ‘explosion’ was so intense that the windows of many homes in North Nazimabad shook, with social media site Twitter flowing with accounts of those who experienced the shockwaves from the blast in their homes.

Karachi West-DIG Feroze Shah, while talking to Dawn, said police had searched almost all areas where the sound of the blast was heard, adding that no evidence of an explosion was found in any area. He said the police had also cleared Khairabad area in Manghopir, which was thought to have been the most likely area from where the explosion originated.

The police official went on to say that air force jets were passing over the area, adding that jets travelling at the speed of sound sometimes create the same kind of noise and shockwaves as a blast – a possible explanation for the loud ‘blast-like’ sound heard in several adjoining areas.

Police and rescue officials were searching the said areas till late in the night to determine the exact site of the blast.

This is a developing story and will be updated as facts are ascertained.