Suicide bombers killed dozens of people at a mosque and a market in Mubi, Adamawa, northeast Nigeria on Tuesday, in a twin attack bearing the hallmarks of Islamist insurgents Boko Haram.
The blasts happened at about 1:20 pm (1220 GMT) in Mubi, a city some 200 kilometres (125 miles) from the Adamawa state capital, Yola.
Adamawa state police spokesman Othman Abubakar said, “For now (the death toll) is 24,” but other sources gave far higher figures.
Rescue worker Sani Kakale said: “In my presence, 42 dead bodies were taken to hospital and 68 injured.”
A source at Mubi General Hospital told AFP they had “so far” received 37 bodies and dozens of injured, many of them critically.
Confirming the incident, the chairman of Mubi North Local Government, Alhaji Musa Bello, said the blasts occurred around 1 30 pm.
“All I can tell you for now is that I am on my way to the scene to help in evacuation of casualties. Nobody can tell you the number of dead and injured for now,” he said.
The Executive Secretary of Adamawa State Emergency Agency, Mr Haruna Furo also confirmed the blast.
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A resident of Mubi, who simply identified as Buba, said the two explosions occurred in a mosque and a second hand clothes market.
“The blasts occurred at the Gwonjo market and a mosque about 20 meters away,” Buba said.
Local volunteer Habu Saleh, who was involved in the rescue effort, described the situation as “chaos all over the place”.
“We have evacuated dozens of dead and injured people to the hospital and the rescue operation is still ongoing,” he said.
Health workers from the hospital mobilised to attend to the victims, despite being on strike over pay and conditions.
Mubi resident Abdullahi Labaran said the first bomber mingled with worshippers who had gathered for prayers at the mosque at the edge of the market.
He detonated his explosives “five minutes before the prayer started”, he added.
The second bomber blew himself up among the crowds of worshippers, traders and shoppers who fled the mosque towards the butchery section of a nearby market.
