A blast at a market in the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar has left at least 37 dead and dozens wounded Sunday.

Local police report a bomb had exploded in the Kissa Khwani market, with shops and vehicles sustaining serious damage.

Police said they suspected the explosion was caused by a car bomb.

Pakistan's Dawn newspaper quoted the health minister as saying that the main Peshawar police station may have been the main target.

However, bomb disposal chief Shafqat Malik informed it appeared the blast had taken place some way from the station.

The explosion is the third deadly one in Peshawar in recent days.

It comes a week after a double suicide bombing killed at least 80 people at a church in the city. On Friday, at least 17 people were killed in the bombing of a bus carrying government employees.

Peshawar is the main city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. In the last years, it has been persistently targeted by numerous bomb and gun attacks blamed on Taliban insurgents.