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| Bhutto convoy bombs kill dozens | |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| At least 58 people have been killed and 100 wounded after two bombs hit crowds greeting returning Pakistani ex-PM Benazir Bhutto. | |
| Ms Bhutto was being driven in a convoy through crowded streets from Karachi airport to a rally to mark her homecoming after eight years in exile. | Ms Bhutto was being driven in a convoy through crowded streets from Karachi airport to a rally to mark her homecoming after eight years in exile. |
| Ms Bhutto was not among the casualties and has been driven to safety. | |
| Hundreds of thousands of people had turned out to greet the former PM, amid a huge security presence. | Hundreds of thousands of people had turned out to greet the former PM, amid a huge security presence. |
| Several Islamist groups including pro-Taleban militants have made threats against Ms Bhutto. | Several Islamist groups including pro-Taleban militants have made threats against Ms Bhutto. |
| The motorcade is now said to be at a standstill, and police have cordoned off the scene of the blasts. | The motorcade is now said to be at a standstill, and police have cordoned off the scene of the blasts. |
| The area around a stage where she was due to give a speech to supporters has been evacuated. | The area around a stage where she was due to give a speech to supporters has been evacuated. |
| Police say the bombings may have been suicide attacks. | Police say the bombings may have been suicide attacks. |
| Rushed away | Rushed away |
| The first explosion was relatively small but was followed by a much larger blast close to the front of Ms Bhutto's truck, which broke its windows and door. | |
| KEY DATES 06 Oct: Presidential polls held 17 Oct: Supreme Court resumes hearing challenges to Musharraf candidacy 18 Oct: Benazir Bhutto's homecoming 15 Nov: Parliamentary term ends and general election must be held by mid-January Flying into uncertainty On board Bhutto's flight | KEY DATES 06 Oct: Presidential polls held 17 Oct: Supreme Court resumes hearing challenges to Musharraf candidacy 18 Oct: Benazir Bhutto's homecoming 15 Nov: Parliamentary term ends and general election must be held by mid-January Flying into uncertainty On board Bhutto's flight |
| Police vehicles took the main force of the blasts. | |
| It is not clear whether the bomber was in a car or on foot, although police said an unregistered small white car pulled up near a police escort immediately before the explosions. | It is not clear whether the bomber was in a car or on foot, although police said an unregistered small white car pulled up near a police escort immediately before the explosions. |
| Witnesses said body parts were strewn across Ms Bhutto's truck. The death toll is expected to rise. | Witnesses said body parts were strewn across Ms Bhutto's truck. The death toll is expected to rise. |
| Most of the dead were members of her Pakistan People's Party (PPP). One cameraman for a local TV station was killed. | |
| Correspondents say Ms Bhutto may have been shielded from the blast by an overhang because she was sitting on top of the truck at the time. | |
| The former prime minister was immediately rushed from the scene to her Karachi residency, according to contingency plans. | The former prime minister was immediately rushed from the scene to her Karachi residency, according to contingency plans. |
| Power-sharing deal | |
| Ms Bhutto flew in from Dubai earlier on Thursday, accompanied on the flight by about 100 PPP members. | |
| At least 200,000 people turned out to greet her in what correspondents described as a carnival atmosphere, but the crowds slowed the progress of her convoy. | At least 200,000 people turned out to greet her in what correspondents described as a carnival atmosphere, but the crowds slowed the progress of her convoy. |
| Ms Bhutto had been planning to make a speech at the tomb of Pakistan's founding father, Mohammed Ali Jinnah. | Ms Bhutto had been planning to make a speech at the tomb of Pakistan's founding father, Mohammed Ali Jinnah. |
| The BBC's Damian Grammaticas in Karachi says that despite being away for eight years, Ms Bhutto is still enormously popular as a scion of Pakistan's pre-eminent political dynasty. | The BBC's Damian Grammaticas in Karachi says that despite being away for eight years, Ms Bhutto is still enormously popular as a scion of Pakistan's pre-eminent political dynasty. |
| Ms Bhutto left the country soon after Gen Musharraf seized power in a coup, but returned under a power-sharing deal with the president which could see her becoming prime minister again. | Ms Bhutto left the country soon after Gen Musharraf seized power in a coup, but returned under a power-sharing deal with the president which could see her becoming prime minister again. |
| The US has backed the deal, amid concerns about the military's inability to defeat Islamist militants and Gen Musharraf's rising unpopularity. | |
| Are you in the area? Have you been affected? You can send us your experiences using the form below: | Are you in the area? Have you been affected? You can send us your experiences using the form below: |