KARACHI / HYDERABAD: Several explosions took place in Karachi and Hyderabad on Tuesday, on the eve of a strike called by the outlawed Jeay Sindh Muttahida Mahaz against the killing of activists of nationalist parties.

But no loss of life or property is reported.

A blast occurred near Zamzama in Clifton at 7:40pm after two men on a motorcycle threw a schoolbag stuffed with explosives at a turn of a street and fled.

An official of a bomb disposal unit told Dawn that it was an improvised explosive device of 2kg, but only its detonator exploded.

“The explosion may be linked to the strike call for Wednesday,” DIG South Abdul Khalique Shaikh said.

Some bike-riders hurled a cracker near Perfume Chowk in Gulistan-i-Jauhar.

Shah Faisal SP Syed Ali Asif said the explosive material landed on the front of a car parked there and damaged it partially.

Another explosion was reported in the Safoora area, but police denied it.

The railway authorities in Karachi confirmed having received reports of two blasts on the up-country tracks between Kotri and Hyderabad and Bholari and Kotri.

No major damages are caused to the railway tracks.

The railway authorities stopped trains at Hyderabad and Karachi railway stations. A railway official said “we need a clearance from the authorities before allowing trains to resume their journey”.

Karachi-bound Awam and Hazara expresses were halted at Hyderabad railway station, while Rawalpindi-bound Tezgam was stopped at Kotri railway station.

An explosion took place outside the Radio Pakistan building within the jurisdiction of Cantonment police.

Armed men resorted to firing in Heerabad, but police denied the incident.

A cracker was thrown from atop a flyover in Latifabad Unit No 7, while another one hit the outer wall of a residential facility of a law-enforcement agency in Wahdat Colony.