- Title: PAKISTAN: HUGE CAR BOMB FOUND NEAR U.S. CONSULATE IN KARACHI
- Date: 15th March 2004
- Summary: (W3) KARACHI, PAKISTAN (MARCH 15, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. OVERVIEW OF STREETS OF KARACHI 0.04 2. WIDE OF US CONSULATE 0.09 3. PEOPLE GATHERED ON THE ROAD 0.10 4. SLV/SV: POLICE AROUND VAN IN WHICH BOMB WAS DEFUSED (4 SHOTS) 0.27 5. LV: MORE OF VAN 0.31 6. (SOUNDBITE) (Urdu) POLICE OFFICER SAYING: "He went into the car an
- Embargoed: 30th March 2004 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: KARACHI, PAKISTAN
- Country: Pakistan
- Reuters ID: LVA4GOFY91DHI63FZE3QNZUY3K6F
- Story Text: Huge car bomb found near U.S. consulate in Pakistan.
A van packed with explosives was found outside the
U.S. consulate in the Pakistani city of Karachi on Monday
(March 15), two days before U.S. Secretary of State Colin
Powell visits the country, police said.
The car bomb was discovered by police and towed away
from the consulate to a sports ground where investigators
defused it, police in the volatile port city said.
A 750-litre drum contained a mixture of chemicals,
including ammonium nitrate, a police officer said.
"It was a tank which had about a 750 litre capacity,
but was under-utilised. There was about 600 litres of
liquid explosives with two detonators and a washing machine
timer and crude. The detonator and the timer were on and
with a lot of care, the bomb disposal squad, the total
credit goes to them, they came and defused it."
A car bomb outside the same consulate killed 12
Pakistanis and wounded 45 in June 2002.
A young man had parked the van in front of the
consulate, telling guards the vehicle had broken down. He
then drove away in another car, police said.
"He went into the car and sped off. We tried to stop him
and we've recorded a photograph of him. We tried to stop
him but he left really fast," explained a police officer.
Police were called and discovered the detonators and the
drum of chemicals. The van was taken to the sports ground,
about two kilometres (one mile) from the consulate.
Powell is due to visit the Pakistani capital, Islamabad,
but not Karachi on Wednesday (March 17).
His visit will also take him to India and Afghanistan.
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