Explosion rocks Karachi

An attack on the same complex in July killed two people

There has been an explosion in the city of Karachi in southern Pakistan.

A large cloud of smoke was seen from the site of the explosion, which took place on Friday night in a business district in the east of the city.

Police said a bomb had caused the blast but there were no reports of casualties.

The blast struck the 10th floor of the 12-storey Crown Plaza complex, where another bomb exploded in July, killing two people.

Police have cordoned off the area. Windows were shattered and debris rained on to the street below.

Some witnesses said a fire had broken out in the upper floors.

Remote-controlled

Interior Ministry spokesman Iftikhar Ahmad told the AP news agency there was no indication of who was behind the blast.

In the July explosion, a security guard and a passer-by were killed and about four other people injured by flying glass.

A remote-controlled bomb weighing about two kilograms (4.4 pounds) had been placed near a pillar at the entrance to the building.

Crown Plaza mainly houses the offices of property agents and construction companies.

Karachi, which has a population of 14 million, has a long history of sectarian, ethnic and political violence that has killed about 4,000 people in the past five years.

However, analysts said there was speculation the July attack was carried out by a criminal gang.