COLOMBIA-EXPLOSION/BOGOTA Eight injured in double bomb attack in Bogota

Record ID: 148566

  • Title: COLOMBIA-EXPLOSION/BOGOTA Eight injured in double bomb attack in Bogota
  • Date: 3rd July 2015
  • Summary: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (JULY 02, 2015) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF STREET WHERE EXPLOSION TOOK PLACE PIECES OF BLOWN OUT GLASS ON STREET / FIREFIGHTERS AT SITE ONLOOKERS POLICE HELICOPTER FLYING ABOVE VARIOUS OF CLEANING UP AFTER BLAST (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) DIRECTOR OF BOGOTA METROPOLITAN POLICE, GENERAL HUMBERTO GUATIBONZA, SAYING: "There are no grave injuries, there are some (pe
  • Embargoed: 18th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Colombia
  • Country: Colombia
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA730EL1I4CTJZGAO0LOQHU21S7
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: A double bombing rocked Colombia's capital of Bogota on Thursday (July 02), injuring eight people, authorities reported.
    According to local officials, the first explosion took place in Bogota's financial district and wounded seven people. A second blast in an industrial area of the capital injured one more person. The devices are believed to have been homemade. It appears the private Porvenir pension fund was targeted.
    The authorities have not made any arrests or blamed any group for the attack. No one has claimed responsibility, according to media reports. Police director, General Humberto Guatibonza, said none of the victims have been seriously injured and investigators have begun reviewing security footage at the site.
    "There are no grave injuries, there are some (people) with hearing problems. We believe no one has been hospitalised. We have started an investigation, we are reviewing cameras and already have some witnesses that we're interrogating and we're going to the security council to make some decisions," he said.
    Local resident, Camilo Hernandez, said he ran for his life after the blast threw him while he was waiting for public transport.
    "I was waiting for public transport over there and it exploded and people were knocked onto the ground. Really what I did was to try and save myself by running away because I thought more things were going to happen. What I tried to do was get away and after a few metres I sat down and cried like a child because it was a hard shock," said Hernandez.
    President Juan Manuel Santos has cut short a regional trade conference in Peru to come back home for briefing on the incident.
    Colombia is no stranger to bomb blasts. In March, six explosions exploded in the capital of Colombia alone.
    The latest explosion comes amidst tense peace talks between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to end five decades of conflicts. There was no evidence linking FARC to the attacks.
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