21 WORLD CUP FANS KILLED, 17 WOUNDED IN NIGERIA BOMB BLAST

Nigerians are immediately blaming the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram after an explosion killed 21 people, wounding 17 at a shopping mall in the capital, Abuja on Wednesday.

The blast came as many Nigerians were preparing to watch their country's Super Eagles play Argentina at the World Cup in Brazil. 

Many shops at the mall have TV screens but it was unclear if the explosion was timed to coincide with the match, which started an hour later.​

Victims injured by the blast in the crowded shopping district are taken to the nearby Maitama general hospital in Abuja. The explosion tore through the popular shopping centre during rush hour on Wednesday, a police spokesman said.

Boko Haram has yet to claim the attack, but it is similar to other bombings that have rocked Nigeria in recent months.

After the blast, witnesses said body parts were scattered around the exit to Emab Plaza, in Abuja's upscale Wuse 2 suburb. All spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.

• Soldiers shot and killed one suspect as he tried to escape on a power bike and police detained a second suspect, said government spokesman Mike Omeri in a statement.
• Billows of black smoke could be seen from a kilometre away. Police said 17 vehicles were burnt out in the blast.
• "I heard the explosion and (felt) the building shaking," said Shuaibu Baba, who had a narrow escape. He said he rushed downstairs to find that the driver who had dropped him a few minutes earlier was dead.

Source: CBC...More News...