KARACHI: A powerful explosion yesterday wrecked a three-storey building, killing at least 10 persons and injuring over 30, in Lea Market, off Napier Road. The explosion in the half-a-century-old building was so severe that it was heard by people living as far as one mile away. According to the residents of the locality crackers were stored in one of the shops on the ground floor of the building located on the corner of Gharibabad and Jehangir Street — two narrow by-lanes.

Among those killed were a little boy, a girl and a mother of a carpenter living in that building. The wife of the carpenter, Sher Mohammad, and one little son are in the Civil Hospital with injuries. They are said to be out of danger. At least half a dozen families living in that building were evacuated to safety. They took shelter in the neighbourhood. They were seen coming out [of] the building with whatever belongings they could take out.

[Meanwhile, as reported by our correspondent from Washington], there is widespread speculation in Washington circles that yesterday’s air raids on two mobile anti-aircraft missile bases in North Viet-Nam [are] a calculated attempt to provoke a war with China. According to some well-informed sources the United States may now be heading for a deliberate and planned confrontation with China and possibly with Russia as well.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2015

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