At least 10 people have been killed and many more injured in a bomb blast at a Catholic church near the Nigerian capital Abuja, officials say.
The blast tore through St Theresa's Church in Madalla as worshippers gathered for Christmas services.
A second explosion is reported to have hit a church in the central city of Jos soon after.
National Emergency Management Agency (Nema) spokesman Yushau Shuaibu told the BBC that the Abuja explosion had happened in the street outside the church.The blast struck St. Theresa Church in Madalla, a town in Niger state close to the capital, Abuja, authorities said. The explosion destroyed at least eight cars parked near the church on a main highway running through the region, said Yushau Shuaib, a spokesman for Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency.
Earlier he told Reuters news agency: "We are presently evacuating the dead and the injured, but unfortunately we don't have enough ambulances.Most of our ambulances have gone to operate on the major highways of the country."
"We were in the church with my family when we heard the explosion. I just ran out. Now I don't even know where my children or my wife are,'' said Timothy Onyekwere. "I don't know how many were killed but there were many dead.''
Rose Adoga, who lives nearby told Reuters by telephone there was a huge explosion from the direction of the church. She added that "the blast destroyed the windows of my home."
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, but the explosion comes amid a wave of attacks in Nigeria by a radical Muslim sect known as Boko Haram. The sect is responsible for at least 465 killings this year alone, according to an Associated Press count.
This is very sad and the fact that there are not enough ambulances is just really annoying.kmt!!
God please save us and just the way you showed yourself to Saul, please show yourself to these heartless people.
May the souls of those departed rest in peace and I pray for quick recovery for those injured. AMEN.
For more info:
One thing is sure,
THE WICKED SHALL NOT GO UNPUNISHED.
dangel eyez