Off the wire
• Car bomb kills driver, injures 2 police in Saudi capital  • French stock market index up 1.47 pct on Thursday  • Urgent: Nasdaq ends at record after Greek vote  • Roundup: All Greek banks will reopen Monday: Deputy FinMin  • Interview: S. Africa not facing constitutional crisis: official  • UK-designed smart house produces more energy than it consumes  • 1st LD Writethru: All Greek banks will reopen Monday: Deputy FinMin  • Former centrist leader suggests referendum on single currency  • U.S. builder confidence hits almost 10-year high  • 1st LD Writethru: U.S. dollar climbs on rate-hike expectation  
You are here: 　 Home

1st LD Writethru: At least 25 killed, over 30 injured in Nigeria twin blasts

Xinhua, July 17, 2015 Adjust font size:

At least 25 people have so far been killed and over 30 injured by twin blasts that rocked a market in Nigeria's northeastern state of Gombe on Thursday, sources said.

An official of the Nigerian National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), who confirmed the incident, said 25 bodies have were found at the scene of the blast by field officers of the rescue agency.

Wounded people, numbering more than 30, have also been rushed to the hospital for treatment, said the official who preferred to be anonymous. There might be an increase in the death toll as some injured victims were discovered to be in critical conditions, the source added.

A witness identified as Musa Gambo said the blasts were caused by improvised explosive devices. People shopping for Friday's Ramadan festival at the local overcrowded market were more involved in the attack, he said.

The blast occurred at about 6:00 p.m. local time, according to the witness.

Local people blamed Boko Haram for the attack. The group usually claims responsibility for such attacks in the West African country.

Boko Haram has killed more than 13,000 people in violent attacks carried out since 2009 in Nigeria, Africa's most populous country.

Nigerian authorities are seeking regional and intercontinental supports to put an end to the murderous acts of the terror group which seeks to enshrine the Islamic Sharia law in the constitution. Endi