Somalia: Mogadishu truck bombing death toll rises to 512

MOGADISHU, Somalia - The death toll from Mogadishu truck bomb on October 14 has risen to 512, making it the worst terrorist atrocity in the country's history, Garowe Online reports.

The chairman of a Committee set up by the Government for the 14th Oct attack Abdullahi Mohamed Shirwac, told Reuters that the blast toll is now at 512, while 316 were injured, some flown to overseas.

Shirwac has his team carried out a further investigation into the incident by making direct contacts with the families who lost their loved ones in the deadly attack and found the missing were among the dead.

On 20th October, the Somali government has released a statement on the casualties and put the death toll at 358, and 228 wounded. It said 67 others were missing at the time and presumed dead.

The authorities did not say a word on the latest toll announced by the committee.

The incident happened on Saturday afternoon, 14th October after a truck packed with explosives went off at the busy Zoobe junction and killed pedestrians, people on passenger and private vehicles in the area.

The blast has also destroyed government offices, restaurants, kiosks and Safari hotel. It was the deadliest attack ever in the horn of Africa country, which has been previously beset by civil war and conflict since 1991.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the massacre, but, the Somali government blamed the attack on Al-Shabaab, an Islamist terror group that has been driven out of Mogadishu in 2011 by SNA and AMISOM forces.

GAROWE ONLINE