KARACHI, Aug 8: At least eight people were killed and over 40 others injured when two bombs exploded in quick succession near the Jamia Binori Madressah in the city's SITE area on Sunday evening.

Police said that the first bomb went off outside a restaurant near the seminary and it was followed by another explosion caused by a powerful bomb attached to a motorbike parked close to the restaurant. The blasts took place at around 6.45 pm.

A third explosive device lying on the main road was defused by officials of the bomb disposal squad police said. City police chief Tariq Jameel told Dawn that apparently students of the seminary were the target, though the roadside restaurant catered to the public.

TPO SITE Imran Shaukat told Dawn that the first was a cracker blast, followed a few seconds later by the motorbike explosion. He said the terrorists had probably wanted people to converge there after the first blast and planned a gap of 10 to 15 minutes between the two explosions, but the plan didn't work.

The locally improvised explosive device weighted one and a half kilograms, the police added. Vehicles parked close to the restaurant were badly damaged in the blast.

Sources in the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital confirmed five deaths, and said that over 30 wounded had been brought to the hospital. The five dead were identified as Tayyab, Sauleh Mohammad and Sanaullah, students, and two passers by, Ahsan and Nadeem.

Civil Hospital sources said that an unidentified person and a three-year-old boy had been brought dead, along with 14 injured, four of whom were in serious condition. The bodies of those who had been brought dead were taken away by their next of kin before their identities could be entered in hospital record.

Additional police surgeon of the JPMC, Dr Zulfiqar Sial, said that one victim, Mohammad Zahid, died during treatment while the condition of two children was serious. Among the injured was a woman, a passerby, police added.

Mufti Naeem, a senior official of the seminary, told Dawn that a large number of students were present at the place because it was the evening break. Police and officials of the Fire Department were first to reach the spot.

Enraged students of the seminary pelted police mobiles with stones, damaging three vehicles. However, they were pacified by faculty members and elders. All roads leading to the area were closed.