PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
South Africa: Pretoria expresses regret over Abuja terror attack
Pretoria, South Africa (PANA) – The South African government on Monday sent its "deepest condolences" to Nigeria after a bomb blast in Abuja that killed more than 70 people.
It marks the deadliest terror attack on Nigeria’s federal capital. The Islamist terror group, Boko Haram, is suspected of carrying out the attack although there was no immediate claim of responsibility.
"South Africa believes that terrorism, in any form and from whichever quarter, cannot be condoned," the South African International Relations Department said in a statement.
It noted that South Africa and Nigeria enjoyed a close bilateral relationship that was structured under the Bi-National Commission that was officially inaugurated in 1999.
The Nigerian Ministry of Health on Monday evening released the main casualty figures of the bomb blasts at the Nyanya Motor Park, in the outskirts of Abuja, saying the official figure stood at 72 dead and 236 injured.
PANA reports that the number of casualties may be higher as the Ministry said the figures were “provisional" and did not include victims whose bodies were totally dismembered by the bomb which went off at the crowded rush hour motor park.
According to a statement from the Ministry, “from the data collected at the scene of the bomb blasts and at various hospitals within the Federal Capital Territory, the total number of victims as at now stands at 236 out of which 72 are dead while the others are receiving treatment at various hospitals”.
It explained that 71 were brought dead from the site of the blast to the various hospitals’ morgues in Abuja while one severely injured person subsequently died at the National Hospital, Abuja.
-0- PANA CU/MA 14April2014
It marks the deadliest terror attack on Nigeria’s federal capital. The Islamist terror group, Boko Haram, is suspected of carrying out the attack although there was no immediate claim of responsibility.
"South Africa believes that terrorism, in any form and from whichever quarter, cannot be condoned," the South African International Relations Department said in a statement.
It noted that South Africa and Nigeria enjoyed a close bilateral relationship that was structured under the Bi-National Commission that was officially inaugurated in 1999.
The Nigerian Ministry of Health on Monday evening released the main casualty figures of the bomb blasts at the Nyanya Motor Park, in the outskirts of Abuja, saying the official figure stood at 72 dead and 236 injured.
PANA reports that the number of casualties may be higher as the Ministry said the figures were “provisional" and did not include victims whose bodies were totally dismembered by the bomb which went off at the crowded rush hour motor park.
According to a statement from the Ministry, “from the data collected at the scene of the bomb blasts and at various hospitals within the Federal Capital Territory, the total number of victims as at now stands at 236 out of which 72 are dead while the others are receiving treatment at various hospitals”.
It explained that 71 were brought dead from the site of the blast to the various hospitals’ morgues in Abuja while one severely injured person subsequently died at the National Hospital, Abuja.
-0- PANA CU/MA 14April2014
