Suicide car bomber kills seven at US consulate
Seven people are dead after a suicide attacker crashed a car packed with explosives into the US Consulate in Karachi.
At least 25 others have been injured. All those killed were reportedly Pakistanis.
The blast destroyed a dozen cars and sent debris flying half a mile through the Pakistani city.
Police say the attacker crashed a white car into a police kiosk at the southern end of the consulate at about 11:15am (local time.)
Part of the consulate's thick concrete wall was destroyed, and the nearby Marriott Hotel was also damaged. Windows were shattered in surrounding buildings.
At least one of the dead was a Pakistani embassy guard in plainclothes.
Witnesses say US marines have closed the entrances to the building and have taken up protective positions.
Sharif Ajnabi, a private security guard, was sitting in a large public park across the street from the consulate when the bomb went off.
"I heard a deafening explosion," he said. "There was smoke everywhere. It was not easy to see what was happening across the road.
"Moments later, I saw a man's body flying in the air, and fell near me. He was badly injured. Before we could give him water or medical help, he died. It was a horrifying scene."
