The casualty toll in a suicide blast outside a Shiite mosque in the central Pakistani town of Dera Ghazi Khan climbed to 27 dead and more than 50 wounded, police said on Friday, dpa reported.
A suicide bomber targeted a procession of Shiite Muslims Thursday evening when they were returning to the mosque after attending a traditional mourning ceremony.
"Three blast victims died overnight at the hospital, taking the death toll to 27," senior police officer Maqsoodul Hassan said.
Thirty injured people were admitted to the hospital and around half a dozen of them were in critical condition, according to Hassan. "It is feared that the toll might rise further," he said.
Most of the victims died of wounds which they received after being hit by flying shrapnel and ball bearings layered around the explosive vest worn by the suicide bomber.
Unrest prevailed across the town on Friday as crowds protested the blast, which they said was caused due to inadequate security for the Shiite mourners.
An angry mob torched a police picket near the mosque and attacked an emergency vehicle approaching the scene to put out the fire. They also damaged traffic signals and signboards.
Television footage showed scores of stick-wielding protestors shouting slogans against the deadly attack.
Schools in Dera Ghazi Khan were closed on government orders while businesses and offices also remained shut in anticipation of more violent protests.
The Shiite community was scheduled to hold a mass funeral service after Friday prayers at around 2:30 pm (0930 GMT).
Pakistan has a long history of violence between extremist groups among the majority Sunni and minority Shiite Muslims, although the general population peacefully co-exists despite the sectarian differences.
Thursday's blast follows a number of suicide and other attacks on Shiite Muslims over the past few months, mostly carried out by militants also believed to have links with Taliban fighters based in the country's ungoverned tribal region.
Sunni Muslims make up about 80 per cent of Pakistan's more than 160-million-strong population. Most of the rest are Shiite Muslims.