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Deadly car bomb blast rocks Somalia's capital Mogadishu

22 March 2018 19:18 (UTC +04:00)

At least 14 people have been killed in a car bomb blast outside a popular hotel in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, APA reports citing Al Jazeera.

The explosion on Thursday happened near Weheliye hotel on the busy Maka Al-Mukarrama Road.

A spokesman for the Somali interior ministry confirmed the death toll to Al Jazeera, adding that 10 others were wounded in the blast.

Witnesses at the scene said the powerful blast struck a street filled with civilians.

"Most of the casualties are ... people who were spending time to take tea, there was devastation and buildings were damaged," Mohamednur Abdirahman told AFP News Agency.

"The blast was so huge, a vehicle containing explosives went off near a teashop in front of Weheliye hotel, leaving more than 10 people dead. I saw people being rushed to hospital and some of them were already dead," another witness, Abdulahi Moalim, told AFP.