Islamabad  - As many as people were killed and nearly 20 injured Monday when a bomb ripped through a busy street in the garrison town of Rawalpind that adjoins Pakistan's capital Islamabad, officials said.

Seventeen more people were injured in the explosion that damaged three vehicles near a bus depot in Pir Wadhai area, medical personnel said.

Health officials at Rawalpindi's two hospitals spoke of receiving nine bodies - six in District Headquarter Hospital and three in Benazir Bhutto Hospital - while district police chief Nasir Durrani confirmed only five dead and 10 injured.

Durrani told reporters at the scene that the attack was a suicide bombing but said there were indications that the bomber exploded prematurely while using public transport to reach another target.

"The target of the suicide bomber is not clear," he said. (dpa)