Car explosion near hotel in Somali capital kill 22
At least 22 people have died in Mogadishu after a truck bomb detonated in a busy district of the Somali capital that is home to hotels, shops, restaurants and government offices.
The blast on Saturday, in the central K5 Junction destroyed several buildings and set dozens of vehicles on fire, according to police statistics.
“We know that at least 22 civilians are dead while dozens of others are wounded,” Abdullahi Nur, a police officer who was in the area, told Reuters news agency.
“The death toll will surely rise. We are still busy transporting casualties,” he said, adding that there were bodies under the rubble.
The explosion left a trail of destruction across a busy intersection, and the windows of nearby buildings were shattered.
“There was a traffic jam and the road was packed with bystanders and cars,” said Abdinur Abdulle, a waiter at a nearby restaurant. “It’s a disaster.”
Another witness, Ismail Yusuf, told Agence France-Presse: “This was very horrible, the bomb went off alongside the busy road and left many people dead. I saw several dead bodies strewn about but could not count them. It was horrible.”
Witnesses say that the explosion was followed by gunfire.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Al-Shabab, an armed group fighting to overthrow the internationally recognised government, has carried out frequent gun, grenade and bomb attacks in Mogadishu and other parts of Somalia.
