Over 70 killed in Mogadishu explosion
| Publisher | IRIN |
| Publication Date | 4 October 2011 |
| Cite as | IRIN, Over 70 killed in Mogadishu explosion, 4 October 2011, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4e8ea6c12.html [accessed 4 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Up to 70 people were killed and dozens injured in a suicide attack on 4 October in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, when a truck crashed into a compound housing government ministries.
"At around 10.45am [7.45am GMT] a truck tried to break down the gate to the Harkaha [government compound] but failed; the explosion killed mostly students checking exam results, passersby and police guards," a source told IRIN.
A local journalist, one of the first people at the scene, told IRIN Mogadishu residents were expecting that Al-Shabab insurgents would resort to assassinations and suicide bombings, "but I don't think anyone expected it on this scale".
Ali Muse, head of the Lifeline Africa ambulance service, told IRIN ambulances were still picking up the dead and the injured. "I have seen a lot in this city but this has to be one of the worst scenes ever," he said. "Once we are done with the rescue efforts, I am sure the death toll will rise." The attack is the worst single suicide attack, in terms of casualties in the city, Muse added.
