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Pakistan blast: Shias killed in Khanpur procession Pakistan blast: Shias killed in Khanpur procession
(40 minutes later)
An explosion has killed at least 16 people at a Shia religious procession in the central Pakistani city of Khanpur, officials say. At least 16 people have been killed and some 20 wounded in a bomb attack on a Shia religious procession in the central Pakistani city of Khanpur.
It is not known whether the blast was deliberately set off. Police initially thought the blast had been caused by an electrical fault, but later confirmed it was a bomb.
"We are investigating to see if this was a bombing or an accident," a police official told Reuters news agency. The attack targeted Shias marking the festival of Arbain, one of the main holy days of the Shia calendar.
In recent years, there have been a number of bomb blasts and shootings targeting the minority Shia community, carried out by Sunni militants. There have been a number of attacks targeting the minority Shia community, carried out by Sunni militants.
The remote-controlled bomb was planted near an electric pole, Sohail Chattha, the area's police chief, told Reuters news agency.
He said it was set off as the procession approached.
"There was a loud explosion a few yards from the procession and we all scrambled to get away," Imran Iqbal, who was in the procession, told Reuters.
"Debris was everywhere, and a cloud of dust engulfed us. Many people died on the spot."