A car bomb went off on Saturday in the holy Shiite city of Karbala, some 100 km south of the capital, killing at least 40 people and wounding 60 others, the state-run television reported.

"A bomb-rigged car parking in a bus station near the holy shrine of Imam Hussein in Karbala detonated in the morning, " al- Iraqiya television said, adding many shops and restaurants are nearby.

"Many people gathered in the station to take buses to other cities. So far, at least 40 people have been killed in the blast and 60 others wounded," the TV said.

The television aired a footage showing several cars were ablaze and terrified people evacuating bodies and wounded people while the Iraqi security forces cordoned off the area for fear of more blasts could happen.

AL-Jazzera and Iraqi local television al-Rafidein also reported the deadly bombing, saying 40 people were killed and dozens injured.

Violence continues in Baghdad and other Iraqi cities despite the presence of tens of thousands of U.S. and Iraqi soldiers across the country in a major security crackdown aimed at curbing insurgency and sectarian violence in the war-torn country.

Source: Xinhua