A massive explosion outside the airport in Karachi, Pakistan, killed two people and injured at least eight on Sunday, authorities said.
Police and the provincial government said a fuel tanker exploded outside the airport, which is Pakistan’s largest.
But provincial Interior Minister Zia Ul Hassan told local Geo television channel that it was an attack targeting foreigners.
An Interior Ministry official told The Associated Press it was an attack on Chinese nationals, one of whom was injured. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Thousands of Chinese workers are in Pakistan, most of them involved in Beijing’s multibillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). , which connects South and Central Asia to the Chinese capital.
Videos showed flames engulfing cars and a thick column of smoke rising from the scene. A large military deployment was dispatched to the site, which was sealed off.
Deputy Inspector General East Azfar Mahesar told media that it appeared to be an explosion of an oil tank.
“We are determining the nature and reasons for the explosion. It takes time,” he explained, adding that police officers were among the injured.
The Minister of the Interior and the Inspector General also visited the site of the explosion, but they did not speak to the press.
Rahat Hussain, who works at the civil aviation department, said the explosion was so strong that it shook the airport buildings.