ABUJA: Twin car bombings killed 46 people on Tuesday at a crowded market in the central Nigeria city of Jos, as emergency workers struggled to contain a raging fire, officials said.
“For now, we can authoritatively confirm that 46 people were killed in the blasts while 45 people were seriously injured,” said Chris Olakpe, the police commissioner in Plateau state.
“The place has been cordoned off. Nobody should go there until we finish sweeping the place tomorrow (Wednesday).”
The first blast exploded from within a truck at roughly 3:00 pm (1400 GMT), with rescue teams rushing to the city’s New Abuja Market, the military said.
The second bomb came from a minibus some 20 minutes later and witnesses reported that many of the emergency workers were caught up in the second blast.
“Scores died. Mostly women,” Pam Ayuba, spokesman for Plateau state’s Governor Jonah Jang, said earlier.
Plateau state, which falls on the dividing line between Nigeria’s mainly Christian South and mostly Muslim north, has however seen waves of sectarian violence that has killed thousands over the last decade.
“What we are doing now is (trying) to evacuate the dead bodies… many of them are burnt beyond recognition,” said Mohammed Abdulsalam, are coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
“The fire is still raging. Many shops are consumed by the inferno,” he said.
Kingsley Egbo of special military unit deployed in Plateau said rescue workers and the security services were struggling to control the crowd amid the chaos.
The bombings follow two separate attacks on the same bus station in a suburb of the capital, Abuja, on April 14 and May 1, that killed more than 90 people. The first was claimed by Boko Haram.
Four people were also killed on Sunday in a suicide car bomb attack in a predominantly Christian area of the northern city of Kano that had been previously targeted by the group.
Dear TNT Reader,
At The News Tribe, our mission is to bring you free, independent, and unbiased news and content that keeps you informed and empowered. We are committed to upholding the highest standards of journalism, as we understand that we are a platform for truth.
Apart from independent global news coverage, we also commit our unique focus on the Muslim world. In an age marked by the troubling rise of Islamophobia and widespread misrepresentation of Muslims in Western media, we strive to provide accurate and fair coverage.
But to continue doing so, we need your support. Even a small donation of 1$ can make a big difference. Your contribution will help us maintain the quality of our news and counteract the negative narratives that are so prevalent.
Please consider donating today to ensure we can keep delivering the news that matters. Together, we can make a positive impact on the world, and work towards a more inclusive, informed global society.
Donate Monthly Subscription Annual Subscription