UPDATE - At least 15 killed in explosion in NW Pakistan

UPDATES DEATH TOLL, CHANGES HEADLINE

By Aamir Latif

KARACHI, Pakistan (AA) - At least 15 people have been killed and dozens injured in an explosion in a crowded market in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, officials and local media reported.

The blast hit a busy market in the far flung town of Parachinar near the Afghan border and injured over 50 people, according to local administration official Ikramullah Khan.

Authorities fear a rise in the death toll as several injured are said to be in a critical condition.

Parachinar, located 137 kilometers west of Peshawar, is the only Shia-dominated tribal area in Pakistan and has regularly been the target of terrorist attacks.

Story is developing.