BAGHDAD, June 14 (Xinhuanet) -- A suicide bomber blew himself up at a crowd of people outside a bank in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Tuesday, killing 18 people and wounding 53 others, police said.

    "A suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt blew himself up at a crowd of people queuing outside the Rafdiyn Bank waiting for their pension payment in central Kirkuk," Col. Burhan in Kirkuk police told Xinhua.

    The attack, which took place at about 9:00 a.m. (0500 GMT), also set several cars on fire, he said.

    Previous reports said the blast occurred in an open market of the oil hub city, some 250 km north of Baghdad.

    More than 800 people have been killed in a renewed wave of violence across Iraq since a Shiite-led government was unveiled late April.

    Meanwhile, six people were killed and four others wounded Tuesday in a suicide car bombing attack in Kan'an, some 45 km northeast of Baghdad, the police said. Enditem