At least 10 people were killed and dozens injured Friday as an explosion ripped through a busy market in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's North Western Frontier Province, police said, reported dpa.
The blast occurred as the people were shopping for Muslim festival of Eid ul Adha in a narrow and congested lane, called as Koocha Risaldar, leading to city's historic Qissa Khwani Bazar.
"It seems to be a car bomb or a planted bomb. According to my assessment, 20 to 25 kilograms of explosives were used in this blast" said NWFP police chief Malik Naveed.
He said 10 people had died and between 20 and 25 were injured in the explosion that also damaged several houses, shops, power transmission lines, and set fire to vehicles.
"It is a highly populated area and since there were so many people and buildings around the site of the explosion, the casualties are so high," Naveed added.
TV footage showed the ambulances moving injured to the hospitals and people trying to help the victims of the bombing which took place near a Shiite mosque.
The area has been a scene of sectarian tensions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims but it was not immediately clear whether the mosque was the actual target of the perpetrators.
No one has so far claimed responsibility for the carnage but NWFP police chief suspected Taliban militants who have carried out dozens of suicide attacks in Peshawar as well as other parts of the province.
"These are the same people who are trying to destabilize our country," he said.