Baghdad, Jan 7 (IANS): At least three people were killed Tuesday and 57 injured in a bomb explosion targeting a police station in the Iraqi city of Kirkuk, a police source said.

"The latest reports said that two policemen and a civilian were killed and 57 people, including 14 children, were wounded in the suicide truck bombing in Kirkuk," the source told Xinhua.

The attack occurred in the morning when a suicide bomber rammed his explosives-laden truck into the entrance of Quriyah police station in Kirkuk.

The blast destroyed parts of the police building and left many cars on fire, the source said, adding that several nearby buildings were also destroyed.

Iraqi security forces sealed off the area and ambulances evacuated the injured. Dozens of civilians and security men were removing the debris and looking for survivors, according to the source.

The ethnically mixed city of Kirkuk is part of the disputed areas claimed by the Kurds, Arabs and Turkomans.

According to the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq, a total of 8,868 Iraqis were killed in 2013, including 7,818 civilians and police personnel.