May Day tragedy: Fresh Abuja blast kills 30

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.