The death toll of a suicide car bombing in the second biggest Iraqi city of Basra on Saturday rose to at least 27, with over 60 others wounded, medical sources said.

Initial report from Iraqi police said the explosion in the second biggest Iraqi city killed 15 people and wounded 30 others.

Police said the bomb exploded near an outdoor market in the center of the southern oil-rich city.

The explosion came after Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki announced a state of emergency in Basra on May 31 in a bid to rein in the unrest there.

Basra, a key oil and port city in Iraq, had enjoyed relative calm since the Saddam Hussein regime was toppled in the U.S.-led invasion in 2003.

About 8,000 British troops are currently deployed there.

The security situation has deteriorated sharply in recent months as Shiite factions are locked in heated power struggles in Basra, which threatens oil exports accounting for a big chunk of the country's revenue.

Source: Xinhua