Ms Abdullahi. Photo credit BBC
SOMALIA BLAST: MAN WITNESSES DAUGTHER’S BURIAL INSTEAD OF GRADUATION
Today, Somalian government gave a mass burial to about 276 bomb blast victims of the Somalia blast, including Maryam Abdullahi who had been due to graduate as a medical doctor today. Her father had flown to Moghadishu to witness her graduation but instead met her burial.
Saturday’s bomb blast has been described as the deadliest terror attack in Somalia since the Islamist al-Shabab group launched its insurgency in 2007.
BBC reports say as many as 165 unidentified bodies have been buried but at least 276 people died. Some of the bodies were burnt beyond recognition. The government’s news agency Sonna says only 111 of them have been identified.
“A Turkish military plane is taking 40 of the injured to Turkey for medical treatment”
“No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing at a busy junction, destroying hotels, government offices and restaurants. But President Mohamed Abdullahi “Farmajo” Mohamed blamed al-Shabab, calling it a “heinous act”, reports BBC
Ms Abdullah’s sister Anfa’a told the BBC Somali Service that she was devastated.
“The family is so shocked, especially our father who travelled all the way from London to attend her graduation, but instead he attended her burial.”
Anfa’a said she had spoken to her sister 20 minutes before the blast.
“At that time she was in Banadir Hospital where she was working. She told me she was waiting for some files from the hospital and she promised to call back”.