The National Emergency Management Agency has stated that about 118 people have died in the twin car bomb blast of Jos on Tuesday at the Terminus area of the city. This is coming against the 46 fatalities reported by the police.

Coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Jos, Mohammed Abdulsalam said, “The death toll stands at 118. This is the number of victims recovered from the scene of the explosions, but we are still searching through the smoldering debris for more bodies. The figure may rise when the search is over.”

The National Emergency Management Agency has stated that about 118 people have died in the twin car bomb blast of Jos on Tuesday at the Terminus area of the city. This is coming against the 46 fatalities reported by the police.

Coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Jos, Mohammed Abdulsalam said, “The death toll stands at 118. This is the number of victims recovered from the scene of the explosions, but we are still searching through the smoldering debris for more bodies. The figure may rise when the search is over.”

An eye witness said that some rescue workers were caught up in the second blast thirty minutes after the first blast when they were assisting victims. He added that the explosives in the second attack were loaded with grains. Another witness said that the first explosion was “massive” and people were screaming and running with some covered in blood while another said he saw 15 bodies and dozens injured.

Mr Mark Lipdo of the Stefanos Foundation, a charity based in Jos said “It’s horrifying, terrible.” He added that one of the blasts could have been prevented if the authorities had acted on reports made by suspicious vendors, who saw that a white can had been parked for hours in the market place.

Lipdo stated that authorities were given a separate warning of impending violence. He said a man with explosives strapped to his body was arrested on Saturday and told police that many militants had been ordered to plant bombs around churches and public areas in Jos.

The commissioner of police in Plateau, Chris Olakpe described the blast “terrorist activities,” but refused to speculate on who might be responsible. He stated that the first blast was a suicide car bomb while the second was caused by an improvised explosive device in a separate vehicle. He said 46 people died and 45 were injured as a result of the blast. Olakpe said “Terrorists usually want to cause fear and trepidation but we will get on top of the matter.” He called on people to be cautions of bomb blast vicinities as there could be a secondary blast after the primary blast and also enjoined people to lay down flat if the find themselves in a similar situation.

No groups have yet claimed responsibility for the blasts, but it is believed the extremist militant group Boko Haram that operates in the north eastern part of the country, had planned the attack. Nigeria has formally made a request to the UN Security Council committee monitoring sanctions against al Qu’ida to add Boko Haram to the list, with an arms embargo and asset freeze, according to diplomats.

For more on this development, see ealier pictures and stories:

http://www.viewpointnigeria.com/politics-mob/item/976-aftermath-of-bomb-blast-a-state-of-uneasy-calm-in-jos-city-as-jang-appeals-for-calm

http://www.viewpointnigeria.com/politics-mob/item/975-photos-of-bomb-explosion-in-jos-today-viewers-discretion-advised and

http://www.viewpointnigeria.com/politics-mob/item/974-breaking-news-bomb-explosion-rocks-jos-city-pictures

Stay with ViewPointNigeria as we continue to bring you rolling updates on this story……

count | 10

Update on Jos bombings: Nigeria request UN to designate Boko Haram a terrorist group