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| 18 die in attack on UN headquarters |
ABUJA (SANA): At least 18 people have been killed in an attack when a car bomb ripped through the United Nations’ headquarters in the Nigerian capital of Abuja on Friday.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack and said the casualty toll was likely to be considerable.
Security sources and witnesses said the car rammed into the building and blew up, badly damaging parts of an office complex where close to 400 people normally work for U.N. agencies.
Body parts were strewn on the ground as emergency workers, soldiers and police swarmed around the building, cordoned roads and rushed the wounded to hospital.
Abuja police commissioner said that different people have been taken to different hospitals so we’re not sure of casualty figures. It is at least 18.
Abuja police commissioner said that different people have been taken to different hospitals so we’re not sure of casualty figures. It is at least 18.
In Friday’s attack the car slammed through security gates of the U.N. complex, crashed into the basement and exploded, sending vehicles flying and setting the building ablaze.
“When the car got inside it went straight to the basement and exploded, killing people in reception, right and left,” said Abuja resident James John, who witnessed the attack. “The entire building, from the ground floor to the topmost, was just fire and smoke. I saw six bodies been carried. I can’t believe it.”
“All the people in the basement were all killed. Their bodies are littered all over the place. I saw about five dead bodies,” said Ocilaje Michael, a U.N. employee at the complex.
The building was blackened from top to bottom. In places, walls were blown away and there were piles of debris from the explosion.
The building was blackened from top to bottom. In places, walls were blown away and there were piles of debris from the explosion.
