Death toll from Karachi bombing reaches 40

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KARACHI, Dec 29 (AP): Authorities appealed for calm Tuesday as the death toll from a bombing against a Shiite Muslim procession in Pakistan's largest city of Karachi increased to 40.
Monday's bombing against a Shiite procession marking the key holy day of Ashoura sparked riots as people rampaged through the city, setting fire to markets and stores. Firefighters were still battling the flames Tuesday, with authorities calling for reinforcements from the city of Hyderabad, 170 kilometres north of Karachi, Pakistan's main commercial hub.
Karachi Mayor Mustafa Kamal said the city's largest wholesale market was on fire, and that hundreds of shops had been destroyed, with damages estimated to run into millions of dollars.
Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who visited Karachi Tuesday, said authorities were still trying to determine whether the attack had been carried out by a suicide bomber, as he had said Monday.
"The investigation is still going on to determine whether it was a suicide attack or some improvised explosive device was used," said Malik, who also appealed for calm.