Somalia: More than 30 killed, 50 more injured in Beledweyne truck bomb

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Somalia: More than 30 killed, 50 more injured in Beledweyne truck bomb

BELEDWEYNE (HORN OBSERVER) – At least 30 people died and more than 50 others were injured after a truck loaded with explosives exploded at a checkpoint at Nur Hawaad neighborhood in Beledweyne city in Hiiraan region.

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At least 30 people died and more than 50 others were injured after a truck loaded with explosives exploded at a checkpoint in Beledweyne.

BELEDWEYNE (HORN OBSERVER) – At least 30 people died and more than 50 others were injured after a truck loaded with explosives exploded at a checkpoint at Nur Hawaad neighborhood in Beledweyne city in Hiiraan region.

Belewene District Commissioner, Omar Osman Alasow said that rescue operations are still ongoing and many people are still under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Alasow said that the car was stopped at the checkpoint after refusing to pay the tax at the checkpoint before detonating the bomb.

The explosion resulted in the destruction of civilian homes, vehicles, and commercial establishments.

The images of the site show a landscape where approximately 1 kilometer of the area’s structures has been torn apart.

The residents of Beledweyne are describing today’s explosion as a major catastrophe, marking the most severe incident to have occurred in central Somalia in recent memory.

Mohamed Mahmoud, a businessman who lives in Beledweyne, said that he saw dismembered bodies and burnt people, including children, as the site of the bombing locates inside a residential area.

"What happened today is a tragedy. The blood and flesh of people are scattered on the ground. Some bodies are dismembered, some are burnt and cannot be identified,” added Mohamed.

Beledweyne’s medical services are severely lacking, with the city’s sole hospital ill-equipped to handle critical injuries. Emergency responders report that some of the wounded have been transported to private medical centers. Nonetheless, authorities are now urging the transfer of seriously injured individuals to Mogadishu for more extensive treatment.

Mohamed Abdi Waare, the former president of Hirshabelle, expressed strong condemnation for the explosion, emphasizing that the local community will not tolerate acts of terrorism.

"The people of Beledweyne and Somalia will not be deterred by cowardly attacks on civilians. It is the actions of a detestable and vile group on its last days. We condemn it in the strongest possible terms. May Allah heal the wounded, and be Merciful to the dead,” he added.