8 killed in central Mali as bus hits landmine

At least eight people were killed in Mali when a makeshift bomb exploded under a passenger bus traveling in the violence-plagued central region of Mopti, the bus company on Tuesday said.

The vehicle hit the landmine while carrying 60 passengers through the Douentza territory in Mopti, where ethnic militias regularly slaughter civilians from rival groups and militants are also active.

“The blast killed several people and injured some more. The provisional death toll, I repeat provisional, is of eight people killed,” said Mohamed Diakite, Director of SONEF, the company operating the bus.

The security ministry declined immediate comment on the attack or on who might be behind it.

The remote border region where Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger meet has become a haven for militants, who often launch deadly attacks on the UN, Malian and international troops.

A person at the scene said that his sister and nephew had been on board the vehicle and were killed in the explosion.

“The army is trying to recover bodies from under the bus,” he said, speaking by telephone on condition of anonymity. (Reuters/NAN)