Death toll in Nigeria triple suicide blasts reaches 30

World 
Death toll in Nigeria triple suicide blasts reaches 30

Abuja (Web Desk): At least 30 people were killed in a triple suicide attack in northeast Nigeria on late Sunday, emergency services reported.

Three bombers detonated their explosives outside a hall in Konduga, 25 kilometres from the Borno state capital Maiduguri, where football fans were watching a match on TV.

"The death toll from the attack has so far increased to 30. We have over 40 people injured," Usman Kachalla, head of operations at the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), said on Monday.

An earlier toll from the blasts said 17 were dead and 17 others were wounded.

The attack happened around 9:00pm (18:00 GMT), Ali Hassan, the leader of a self-defence group in the town, said.

The owner of the hall prevented one of the bombers from entering the packed venue.

"There was a heated argument between the operator and the bomber who blew himself up," Hassan said by phone.

Two other bombers who had mingled among the crowd at a tea stall nearby also detonated their suicide vests. Hassan said most of the victims were from outside the football viewing centre.

"Nine people died on the spot, including the operator, and 48 were injured," Hassan said.