DAMATURU, Nigeria -- A suicide bomber detonated a tricycle taxi packed with explosives at an outdoor World Cup viewing center in a northeast Nigerian city Tuesday night, and witnesses said several people were killed.
Workers at the main hospital at Damaturu, capital of Yobe state, could not immediately say how many people were killed but said at least 15 were critically wounded.
Police Assistant Superintendent Nathan Cheghan confirmed the explosion and said rescue workers were being careful for fear of secondary explosions. Islamic extremists of the Boko Haram group frequently time secondary explosions to kill people who rush to the scene of a bomb blast.
Cheghan also said he had no casualty figure.
There was no immediate claim for the explosion, but witnesses were blaming Boko Haram fighters who have targeted soccer viewing centers and sports bars in the past. Two explosions in recent weeks killed at least 40 people in two northern cities.
Witnesses said the taxi was driven into the outdoor area soon after the Brazil-Mexico match started Tuesday. All spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals.
One hospital worker said he saw at least seven bodies. Another said 15 people were in intensive care. Both asked that their names not be published because they were not authorized to speak to reporters.
Nigeria's military has promised increased security since extremists kidnapped more than 250 schoolgirls two months ago.
The failure of Nigeria's military and government to rescue the girls has roused international concern. The United States is searching for them with drones and has sent experts, along with Britain and France, to help in counter-terrorism tactics and hostage negotiation.
Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau has threatened to sell the girls into slavery unless the government agrees to exchange them for detained extremists, but President Goodluck Jonathan has said he will not exchange prisoners. Nigeria's military has said it knows where the girls are but that any military campaign could get them killed.
Boko Haram wants to enforce an Islamic state in Nigeria, Africa's biggest oil producer with a population almost equally divided between Christians and Muslims.
A Section on 06/18/2014