Panic as bomb blasts hit Z’bar

A bomb expert collects remains of an object that exploded near the main entrace to the Minara Miwili Anglican Church in Zanzibar yesterday. PHOTO | MWINYI SADALLAH 

Zanzibar. Residents in Zanzibar were in a state of panic after three explosions hit different places in Unguja Island. The police have confirmed the incidents.

According to police reports, two explosions occurred close to a church and one close to Mercury Restaurant in Malindi in Mjini Magharibi Region yesterday.

Zanzibar Commissioner of Police Hamdan Omar Makame said none of the explosions caused any damage or human life loss.

He said the first incident occurred on Sunday at Fuaoni Maili Nne, after some unidentified people threw an object believed to be a home-made bomb towards an evangelical church. Believers dispersed in panic.

Mr Makame said as police investigations were going on, two more explosions occurred yesterday afternoon in the Old Stone town, saying one was targeted at St Monica Anglican Church at Minara Miwili, Mkunazani in Unguja.

He said the other explosion happened yesterday afternoon near Mercury Restaurant, which is a tourist hang out point, which was temporarily evacuated to pave the way for police investigations.

“We are yet to arrest any suspect in connection to the incidents. We continue with investigations,” said Mr Makame.

He said the police force convened an emergency meeting with all organs involved with security in order to draw strategies to tame any breach to peace. Mr Makame urged the public to offer any clue that would help with the investigations. One Nuhu Saranya, an eye witness, said he was coming out of the Anglican Church canteen where he had lunch when he heard a huge blast near the main entrance.

Another person, Mohamed Ibrahim suffered some minor injuries after he was hit by flying objects, whereby he said he could not tell exactly what was going on because everything happened too fast.

Meanwhile, in a move that shows that police are still far from respecting press freedom, police officers collecting remains of the objects barred and even slapped this reporter as he was attempting to take photos of the sites. Another reporter was also barred.

Source - Mwinyi Sadallah ,The Citizen Correspondent