Three killed, 50 injured in Eritrean bomb blast: UN sources

ASMARA, May 26 (AFP) — Three people were killed overnight and 50 seriously hurt when a bomb exploded in the Eritrean town of Barentu, United Nations officials in the capital said Wednesday.

“The bomb exploded on Tuesday at 11:45 pm in the center of (the western town of) Barentu where people had gathered to dance and celebrate” the country’s independence anniversary, said the source, who asked not to be named.

“At least three people were killed and 50 severely injured,” another source added.

There was no indication as to who was behind the blast and it was unclear if the bomb went off accidentally or was deliberately detonated.

On January 20, a camp in Barentu housing peacekeepers in the mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea was targetted by a bomb. There were no casualties.

On March 1, three people were killed when two bombs went off in a hotel in Tesseney, a town near the Sudanese border.