India, Nov. 11 -- At least 12 people were killed and several others were injured after a blast took place outside a local court in Pakistan's Islamabad on Tuesday afternoon. The cause of the blast was not immediately known.

Several vehicles parked outside the court were also damaged in the explosion. Those injured were mostly people who had arrived at the court for hearings. The court premises outside are usually bustling with visitors.

Local media reports suggested that a gas cylinder may have exploded inside the vehicle, but police have refused to comment on it, reported news agency AP.

Witnesses to the blast recalled hearing a loud bang, and the chaos that followed thereafter. A lawyer named Rustam Malik reportedly told news agency ...