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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 have died in a massive bomb attack in the Somali capital Mogadishu on Saturday. | |
A Turkish military plane has arrived with medical aid. It will then evacuate about 40 of the injured 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. |
One of the victims was a medical student who was due to graduate the next day. | |
Her father had flown to Mogadishu to attend her graduation but instead witnessed her burial. | |
No group has yet said it was behind the bombing. | No group has yet said it was behind the bombing. |
But President Mohamed Abdullahi "Farmajo" Mohamed blamed al-Shabab, calling it a "heinous act". | |
Al-Shabab, which is allied to al-Qaeda, and which often attacks Mogadishu, normally claims them fairly quickly afterwards. | |
On Sunday, some Somalis took to the streets of Mogadishu to condemn the group. | |
The explosion was at a busy junction, destroying hotels, government offices and restaurants. | |
Some 111 of the dead have been identified and buried by their families. | |
However, 165 bodies who cannot be identified will be buried in a national mass funeral, according to Somalia government News Agency, Sonna. | |
Maryam Abdullahi had been due to graduate as a doctor the following day. | |
Ms Abdullah's sister Anfa'a told the BBC Somali Service that she was devastated. | |
"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. | 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". | "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 the Safari 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." |