Dramatic moment bus explodes in fireball after bomb goes off killing six people

It remains unclear if the tragedy was caused by a bomb or a gas explosion

Karachi is plagued by violence between rival ethnic factions

Six people were killed and 52 injured with some still in a critical condition



An explosion has ripped through a passenger bus in Karachi, Pakistan, killing six people and wounding 52 others.



Pakistan's commercial capital and biggest city has seen numerous militant attacks over the past 10 years and is also plagued by violence between rival ethnic-based factions.

The bus sustained serious damage in the explosion and a subsequent fire. While police said the bomb had been planted on the bus, provincial official Sharfud Din Memon said it was left on a motor-bike and went off as the bus passed.

Shocking images show the roof being blown off of the passenger bus in Karachi, Pakistan, as it is engulfed by flames

People carry an injured man away from the scene of a bomb explosion as the bus continues to burn. Six people have been killed and 52 injured

Volunteers carry a burned body from the site of a blast. Police are still trying to work out the cause of the explosion

Other police sources claim that as yet it is unclear what exactly caused the explosion.

Police spokesman Imran Shaukat say said that they are trying to determine whether it was caused by a bomb or a gas canister. Many buses in Pakistan run on natural gas.

The blast that ripped through the vehicle while it was at a terminal in the southern city on Saturday set it on fire and reduced it to little more than a charred skeleton.

People gather at the blast site in southern Pakistan. There is little left of the bus after the explosion which blew the roof off

Bystanders rushed in to help remove an injured man from the burning passenger bus as black smoke billowed into the air

Armed security officials survey the scene of the tragedy as little is left of the passenger bus following the explosion at a bus stand

Some of the 52 wounded are still in a critical condition, according to Doctor Seemi Jamali who works at the Karachi hospital where they are being treated.



Karachi has a long history of political, ethnic and sectarian violence. It is also believed to be home to many Taliban militants who have fled US drone attacks and Pakistani army operations in the country's northwest.

Officials claim that more than 35,000 people have been killed in terrorism attacks in Pakistan since the 9/11 terrorism attacks.



People try to comfort a woman looking for her missing family member after a blast. Eight of the 52 injured are still in a critical condition

Rescuers carry a body away on a stretcher. The attack occurred outside Karachi Cantonment Station, the city's main rail station

The roof was ripped off of the vehicle by the blast, leaving behind charred remains of twisted mental

Clothes burn near the site of a bomb explosion. They were being sold at a nearby street stall

Firefighters battle the blaze which engulfed the passenger bus after the explosion

Rescue workers inspect the scene of devastation