Over 200 people killed in truck bomb attack in Mogadishu, Somalia

The death toll from the single deadliest attack in Somalia’s history rose to 276 Sunday as emergency workers feverishly dug through the rubble of a Mogadishu bomb blast that collapsed buildings and set nearby cars ablaze.

About 300 people were injured when the truck explosion rocked a crowded shopping district Saturday. On Sunday, Mayor Tabid Abdi Mohamed issued a plea for residents and businesses that owned earth-moving equipment to bring it to the blast site to help the desperate search for survivors — and bodies.

President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed, known as Farmajo, called for three days of mourning.

“Terror won’t win,” he said in the capital after donating blood and visiting some of the scores wounded. “I call on our citizens to come out, extend help, donate blood and comfort the bereaved. Let’s get through this together.”

Abshir Abdi Ahmed, the deputy speaker of Somalia’s upper house of parliament, earlier said the death toll could still rise.

Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire blamed the attack on the Somali militant group al-Shabab, which has not commented on the explosion. The group has carried out a series of attacks in recent years aimed at establishing a radical Islamist state, and Farmajo had stepped up efforts to combat the militants.

“They don’t care about the lives of Somali people, mothers, fathers and children,” Ali Khaire said. “They have targeted the most populated area in Mogadishu, killing only civilians.”

Source: /USA Today