Bomb blast hits Pakistan shrine

More than 30 people have been killed and many injured in a bomb blast at a Muslim shrine in southern Pakistan.

The explosion occurred as thousands gathered at the site in the village of Fatehpur, about 300km (185 miles) from Quetta, the capital of Balochistan.

There were no immediate claims of responsibility for the bombing.

Balochistan has a history of violence between Shia and Sunni Muslims, and has seen increased attacks by tribesmen fighting for more autonomy.

But correspondents say Fatehpur is in an area which has not seen sectarian violence. Officials said it was too early to attribute blame.

Bloodbath

Reports from the remote village are still sketchy, but police said the blast occurred when festivities were under way.

The device was apparently planted close to the main food stall - and went off when hundreds were having their evening meal.

A local mayor spoke of pools of blood and people wailing.

"Right now people are angry. Some of them have blocked roads in the town and we are trying to control the situation," police official Mehrab Khan told the Associated Press news agency.

Officials said relief teams were travelling to Fatehpur, where local hospitals were unable to cope.

Troubled province

The BBC's Zaffar Abbas in Islamabad says Pakistan's troubled south-western province has faced a serious law and order problem in recent months.

Balochistan has been tense for several months

In some areas religious extremists have been involved in attacks against the minority Shia Muslim community.

In a large part of the province, armed supporters of a regional Baloch nationalist group have fought a low intensity conflict with the security forces.

Recent clashes in the nearby area of Dera Bugti between forces and Baloch tribesmen left more than 20 people dead, according to local authorities.

In the past two months tribal fighters have staged small-scale but almost daily attacks on the security forces and the province's rail, power and communications infrastructure.

Although the group usually avoids such attacks at public places, officials say they have not ruled out their involvement in the latest incident, our correspondent reports.