BAGHDAD, May 11 -- Up to 37 people were killed and 54 others wounded on Wednesday in a car bomb explosion at a busy marketplace in eastern Iraqi capital of Baghdad, an Interior Ministry source told Xinhua.

"Our latest report said that 37 people were killed and more than 54 wounded in the car bomb explosion in Sadr City marketplace," the source said on condition of anonymity.

The massive blast occurred in the morning when a booby-trapped car went off at a popular outdoor market in the Shiite bastion of Sadr City district, the source said.

The explosion destroyed many stalls and civilian cars and caused damage to several nearby shops and buildings, the source said.

Earlier the source put the toll at 13 killed and 35 wounded by the car bombing.

Iraq is currently witnessing a wave of violence since the Islamic State (IS) group took control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions in June 2014.

Earlier, a report by the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) estimated that 741 Iraqis were killed and 1,374 others wounded in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in April across Iraq.