The suicide attack was launched at the shrine of a revered Sufi Muslim saint, Abdullah Shah Ghazi, said Zulfiqar Ali Mirza, interior minister of Sindh province. Mirza has ordered the closing of Karachi shrines until further notice.

Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, is located in Sindh province.

Saghir Ahmed, Sindh's health minister, told that the victims have been brought to hospitals in Karachi and 60 people are being treated for injuries. Authorities said crews were sifting through human remains at the site.

Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack.

The attack occurred on Thursday night, the busiest time at the shrine because it's the eve of Muslim Friday prayers. Karachi and Sindh residents make pilgrimages to the shrine to offer prayers.

Thursday night also is when people distribute free food to the poor, an act that is one of the five pillars of Islam.