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| 3 killed, 10 injured as car bomb detonates near police station in Colombia swept by anti-government unrest - report | 3 killed, 10 injured as car bomb detonates near police station in Colombia swept by anti-government unrest - report |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| A car bomb has reportedly detonated near a police station in Santander de Quilichao, a town in Colombia some 500 km from its capital of Bogota, as the country is gripped by mass protests mired by incidents of violence and looting. | A car bomb has reportedly detonated near a police station in Santander de Quilichao, a town in Colombia some 500 km from its capital of Bogota, as the country is gripped by mass protests mired by incidents of violence and looting. |
| Footage has circulated on social showing firefighters arriving at the scene of the incident, with police sirens wailing in the background. | Footage has circulated on social showing firefighters arriving at the scene of the incident, with police sirens wailing in the background. |
| The bomb was reportedly planted into a lorry, which appeared to have been badly damaged in the blast with only its cabin somewhat intact, images shared on social media showed. | The bomb was reportedly planted into a lorry, which appeared to have been badly damaged in the blast with only its cabin somewhat intact, images shared on social media showed. |
| EL Tiempo reported, citing prosecution sources, that three people died and ten were injured in the blast. There has been no official confirmation as to the number of dead and injured, however, with police are expected to stage a press conference on Saturday morning local time. | EL Tiempo reported, citing prosecution sources, that three people died and ten were injured in the blast. There has been no official confirmation as to the number of dead and injured, however, with police are expected to stage a press conference on Saturday morning local time. |
| A graphic video posted online shows injured men wearing police uniforms being wheeled into hospital. | A graphic video posted online shows injured men wearing police uniforms being wheeled into hospital. |
| WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO | WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO |
| The explosion apparently was powerful enough to reduce a nearby standing building to rubble. A video has emerged showing locals and first responders sifting through the debris. | The explosion apparently was powerful enough to reduce a nearby standing building to rubble. A video has emerged showing locals and first responders sifting through the debris. |
| A photo purportedly captured inside the targeted police station shows the building's interior was devastated in the blast. | |
| There were also reports of a second explosion that ripped through the city on Saturday night."There were two explosions that were felt throughout the city, immediately the power went out and everything went dark ... only the ambulances rushed towards the hospital," Alfonso José Luna from the local Proclama del Cauca newspaper told El Tiempo. | There were also reports of a second explosion that ripped through the city on Saturday night."There were two explosions that were felt throughout the city, immediately the power went out and everything went dark ... only the ambulances rushed towards the hospital," Alfonso José Luna from the local Proclama del Cauca newspaper told El Tiempo. |
| It’s unclear who was behind the attack, and whether it is linked to a wave of protests over President Iván Duque's austerity policies, which saw thousands of people taking to streets on Thursday and Friday. | It’s unclear who was behind the attack, and whether it is linked to a wave of protests over President Iván Duque's austerity policies, which saw thousands of people taking to streets on Thursday and Friday. |
| A police source speaking to Reuters said that law enforcement currently did not suspect any particular armed group was behind the attack. Cauca, however, is notorious for its drug trafficking and related violent crime. | A police source speaking to Reuters said that law enforcement currently did not suspect any particular armed group was behind the attack. Cauca, however, is notorious for its drug trafficking and related violent crime. |
| Earlier on Friday, Colombian President Iván Duque imposed an overnight curfew on the entire Colombian capital, Bogota, as 20,000 police clad in full riot gear were sent to patrol the streets after sporadic violence broke out on the sidelines of largely peaceful anti-austerity protests. | |
| Rather than to quell the unrest, the curfew was defied by hundreds of protesters who gathered in front of Duque’s house on Friday night, banging pots and pans and chanting slogans. | |
| Over 200,000 people rallied in Bogota on Thursday. Another 20,000 rallied in Cali, prompting local authorities to impose a curfew there. | |
| There have been also reports of looting during the curfew. A video shows vandals hurling stones at a supermarket storefront in Bogota, and attempting to break in. | |
| In a bid to diffuse the tensions, Duque on Friday promised to hold a “national conversation to strengthen the current social policy agenda” next week. However, his attempt to placate the protesters has apparently fallen flat so far. | |
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