KARACHI, May 16: A man was killed and eight others were injured in a grenade attack at two teashops in Quaidabad on Wednesday, police said.

The incident sparked violence as enraged area people forced shopkeepers to shut their businesses and pelted passing vehicles with stones.

Area DSP Rao Iqbal said that two men riding a motorcycle and wearing helmets threw a hand-grenade from the Quaidabad bridge at the two teashops — Allah Malik and New Quetta Noorani — near Dawood Chowrangi within the remit of the Shah Latif police station.

The attackers rode away leaving behind scores of injured persons.

One of the injured, identified as Wajahat, 35, died. The body and injured were shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for medico-legal formalities and treatment.

Wahajat was a resident of Qauidabad and worked as a waiter at the Allah Malik restaurant. He originally hailed from Quetta, the police said.

The suspects used a Russian-made grenade in the attack, which was filled with high explosives that caused severe burn injures to the victims.

The area DSP said that the grenade attack was aimed at spreading panic in the neighbourhood as culprits threw the hand-grenade from the bridge without targeting anyone.

After the attack, the shopkeepers of the locality took to the streets and started marching towards the National Highway to vent their anger.

The road blockade caused gridlock on the main National Highway as well as the adjoining roads for hours.

Later, a heavy contingent of police and Rangers reached the spot and controlled the situation.

Additional Director of the JPMC Dr Seemi Jamali said they had received a body and eight injured, all of whom had suffered burn injuries.

She said although the conditions of all the victims were stable, two of them were admitted to the neurosurgery and chest-surgery wards, respectively.

Till late in the night, no case was registered at the Shah Latif police station.