At least 50 people were killed and several others injured in twin bomb blasts at a market in the northeast Nigerian city of Gombe.
The first blast took place outside a crowded footwear shop, followed by second bomb blast just minutes later, an eyewitness said, according to AFP. The twin blasts rocked the crowded market on Thursday evening when customers were busy with last-minute shopping on the eve of the Eid festival.
An eyewitness Malam Ibrahim Mohammed said he saw 47 to 50 dead bodies among the mutilated pieces of human bodies, according to Leadership Nigeria. Disaster management officials said about 50 people were killed and around 70 were injured in the attacks.
"The explosions occurred around 5:30 pm at the area where fowls are being sold inside the market, very close to the First Bank branch," a witness Babangida Adamu told Premium Times. "I can't say how many were killed or injured but I have seen very many victims dripping with blood, others with parts of their bodies dismembered by the blasts."
"People were busy shopping, preparatory to Sallah festival. The casualties are yet to be ascertained. As you can see, people are busy working, trying to save lives. For now, we cannot tell you the number of casualties," Gombe commissioner of police Kudu Nma said while confirming the twin blasts, according to Leadership Nigeria.
Explosions kill 50 In Gombe Market https://t.co/WQTgaf3V9d https://t.co/sWAzaXFKaE
— LEADERSHIP Newspaper (@LeadershipNGA) July 17, 2015
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, but suspicions fall on home-grown terror group Boko Haram. The Nigerian extremist group recently pledged allegiance to Islamic State group and announced it's new name "Islamic State's West Africa Province."
