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Bombs Damage Mosque, Railway Lines in South Africa, 1 Killed

A squatter camp in Soweto

JOHANNESBURG, October 30 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - A series of bomb explosions in the Johannesburg township of Soweto damaged a mosque and railway lines linking the predominantly black township with South Africa’s biggest city and killed at least one person, officials and the media reported early Wednesday, October 30.

Police spokesman Superintendent Richard Luvhengo said nine bombs had exploded, with one rocking a squatter camp, killing one person and wounding another.

The police also disarmed at least one other bomb at a service station, he said, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

A 42-year-old woman died while her 51-year-old husband sustained head injuries while sleeping in their shack at the squatter camp.

Luvhengo said the explosion at the mosque came at about five minutes to midnight (2155 GMT) on Tuesday.

The explosion, which he described as resulting from a bomb, ripped a hole in the northern wall of the mosque in Soweto’s Dlamini area.

Shortly after the first blast at the mosque, eight other explosions occurred on several railway lines.

“Our detectives worked through the night and they are still busy with their investigations,” Luvhengo told AFP shortly after 8:00 am (0600 GMT).

“Nobody has claimed responsibility yet and no arrests have been made.” 

Metrorail spokeswoman Lilian Mofokeng told the local news agency SAPA the damage to the railway lines appeared to be extensive.

Mofokeng said repair crews were on site but were waiting for police to declare the scenes safe before inspecting and repairing the damage.

The railways brought in shuttle buses to cope with morning rush-hour traffic.

South African newspaper Pretoria News quoted Police Director Henriette Bester saying that detectives worked through the night and were still busy with their investigations.

Forensic experts were combing the scenes but have not yet been able to determine what kind of explosives had been used.

Metrorail’s Lilian Mofokeng said the damage to railway lines and other infra-structure appeared to be extensive, the paper said.

Repair crews were on site but were waiting for police to complete their preliminary investigations before starting repairs.

Mofokeng said train services along the Midway, Naledi and Oberholzer lines would be severely affected.

Services to Naledi, Langlaagte and Midway were suspended and trains from Oberholzer to Johannesburg were to be routed via Randfontein until further notice, it added. 

 

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