Barely three weeks after a bomb blast
killed over 71 persons in Nyanya, a suburb of the Federal Capital
Territory, Abuja, another
explosion claimed about 30 lives on Thursday
evening.
The blast, which was believed to be a
suicide attack, occurred around 8:45pm when a bomb-laden car exploded at
the Karshi Taxi Park, a few metres from where the April 14, 2014
explosion took place.
Eyewitnesses told The Punch that
25 bodies were taken to the Maitama District Hospital, Asokoro, four
corpses were dropped at the National Hospital while one body was taken
to an unidentified hospital in Nyanya.
Scores of injured people were also evacuated by ambulances to different hospitals for treatment.
But a statement co-signed by the Head,
Public Relations, NSCDC and NEMA Press Officer, Emmanuel Ezekiel, said
that 10 bodies had been deposited in the mortuary while 13 unconscious
persons were receiving treatment in different hospitals.
It added that other injured victims were
being attended to by medical personnel, urging members of the public
to avoid hindering rescue efforts.
“While security agencies have condoned
off the area of the explosion this evening in Nyanya, Abuja, response
agencies have moved injured victims to hospitals and at least 10
lifeless bodies have been deposited in the mortuary while 13 unconscious
victims are receiving medical attention in different hospitals in
Abuja. Other injured victims too are being attended to.
“The public are urged to cooperate with
security agencies and avoid rushing to the scene to guard against
hampering the efforts of the various agencies working together to ensure
public safety,” the statement said.
Security sources said the perpetrators
of the blast might have planned to leave the explosive-laden car at the
motor park overnight so that it could be detonated on Friday (today) for
maximum effect, but the bomb accidentally went off, killing the driver
and other innocent people.
A Nyanya resident, who simply identified
himself as Lambert, said he was walking along the road when he heard a
loud blast which shook the area and sent everyone scurrying in different
directions.
He said, “I went to the park, but the
scene was alight with burning vehicles and there were corpses of people
on the ground as well as dismembered bodies; there were body parts on
the ground including hands, and heads. It was a gory sight and I had to
leave the scene.”
Meanwhile, NEMA has called on FCT residents to donate blood to assist victims of the blast.
Source:Punch Newspaper.
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