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Somalia attack: Death toll rises in Mogadishu blast | Somalia attack: Death toll rises in Mogadishu blast |
(35 minutes later) | |
At least 276 people are now known to have died in a massive bomb attack in a busy area of the Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday. | At least 276 people are now known to have died in a massive bomb attack in a busy area of the Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday. |
A Turkish military plane is meeting victims, tweets Somali ambulance service Aamin Ambulance. | A Turkish military plane is meeting victims, tweets Somali ambulance service Aamin Ambulance. |
Officials say some people are then being evacuated to Turkey for medical treatment. | Officials say some people are then being evacuated to Turkey for medical treatment. |
It is the deadliest terror attack in Somalia since the Islamist al-Shabab group launched its insurgency in 2007. | It is the deadliest terror attack in Somalia since the Islamist al-Shabab group launched its insurgency in 2007. |
President Mohamed Abdullahi "Farmajo" Mohamed blamed the attack on the group, calling it a "heinous act". | President Mohamed Abdullahi "Farmajo" Mohamed blamed the attack on the group, calling it a "heinous act". |
No group has yet said it was behind the bombing. | No group has yet said it was behind the bombing. |
Among the victims was a medical student who was due to graduate as a doctor the next day. | Among the victims was a medical student who was due to graduate as a doctor the next day. |
Maryam Abdullahi's father had flown in from the UK to attend her graduation. | Maryam Abdullahi's father had flown in from the UK to attend her graduation. |
Ms Abdullah's sister Anfa'a told the BBC Somali Service that she was shaken. | |
"The family is so shocked, especially our father who travelled all the way from London to attend her graduation, but instead he attended her burial''. | |
Anfa'a said she had spoken to her sister 20 minutes before the blast. | |
"At that time she was in Banadir Hospital where she was working. She told me she was waiting for some files from the hospital and she promised to call back". | |
A BBC Somali reporter at the scene of the main blast said a hotel collapsed, with people trapped under the rubble. | A BBC Somali reporter at the scene of the main blast said a hotel collapsed, with people trapped under the rubble. |
An eyewitness, local resident Muhidin Ali, told AFP it was "the biggest blast I have ever witnessed, it destroyed the whole area". | An eyewitness, local resident Muhidin Ali, told AFP it was "the biggest blast I have ever witnessed, it destroyed the whole area". |
Meanwhile, the director of the Madina Hospital, Mohamed Yusuf Hassan, said he was shocked by the scale of the attack. | Meanwhile, the director of the Madina Hospital, Mohamed Yusuf Hassan, said he was shocked by the scale of the attack. |
"What happened yesterday was incredible, I have never seen such a thing before, and countless people lost their lives. Corpses were burned beyond recognition." | "What happened yesterday was incredible, I have never seen such a thing before, and countless people lost their lives. Corpses were burned beyond recognition." |