Many killed in Jos market explosions

Tragedy again hit the violence-prone Jos, the Plateau State capital, on Tuesday as an afternoon explosions in the Terminus Market is reported to have killed scores of traders and customers in the busy commercial area.

Our correspondent reports that while the first bomb blast went off in the market, located at Jos Terminus, at the back of the popular Ahmadu Bello Way, by 2.30pm, the second explosion occurred about 30 minutes later.

The second blast was said to have killed more people than the first one as many residents and traders, who had fled the scene over the first explosion, tried to join rescue agencies to save the injured and retrieve the bodies of the dead.

The first explosion was said to have gone off in a Siena space bus marked Plateau XB 146 BLD at about 2.30pm.

 Men of the fire service, who responded to distress calls to fight the resultant inferno, were said to have stayed far away from the market over fears that more bombs could have been planted in the market.

The injured are being evacuated to the Jos University Teaching Hospital and the Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos.

Officials of NEMA, Police, Operation Rainbow and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps are reported to be battling frantically to rescue the victims.

Our correspondent reports that the state capital has been thrown into serious confusion as distraught parents hurried to schools to pick up their wards.