Nine people have been killed while watching the Euro 2024 final between England and Spain.
Security sources annoujced on Monday that the death toll from a car bombing at a crowded cafe in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, where football fans were watching the grand finale has risen to nine.
Witnesses described scenes of panic and chaos after the powerful blast late Sunday, which destroyed the main entrance of the cafe and sent people scrambling for safety.
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Spain won the Euro 2024 final 2-1 against England on Sunday night.
Mohamed Yusuf, an official from the national security agency, confirmed that nine civilians were killed and 20 others injured in the explosion, revising the initial police report of five casualties.
The Top Coffee restaurant, popular among young men and located near the presidential palace in the city center, was packed with patrons watching the match.
“There were many people inside the restaurant, mostly youth watching the football match… fortunately, many managed to escape safely by using ladders to climb over the backside perimeter wall,” Yusuf said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, although the state-run Somali National News Agency attributed it to Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab jihadists.
Images circulating online depicted a massive fireball and smoke rising into the night sky following the explosion.
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