Explosion rocks Nigeria World Cup viewing

An explosion has struck a venue in the town of Damaturu in northeast Nigeria where fans had gathered to watch a World Cup football match, police say.

There were reports that a suicide bomber detonated a tricycle packed with explosives at the venue.

There was no official word on casualties from Tuesday night’s blast at the Crossfire venue in the Nayi-Nawa area of the town.

A witness near the scene told Reuters news agency they heard a loud boom. Some residents said they also heard a second explosion.

Sanusi Ruf’ai, police commissioner for Yobe state, said: “There was an explosion outside a soccer viewing centre here in Damaturu at around 8.15pm. “Our men have deployed to the scene but it’s too early for us to give details.”

Damaturu is the capital of Yobe state, an area that has been devastated by attacks from rebel group Boko Haram which in April abducted more than 200 girls from a school in neighbouring Borno state.

The Nigerian government had advised residents to avoid gathering in public to watch the World Cup, concerned about possible attacks, even issuing a direct warning two days ago to close down all viewing centres.

Authorities in Adamawa, in northeast Nigeria, last week closed viewing centres, where large crowds gather to watch matches on the big screen, while the central state of Plateau followed suit days later.

Earlier this month, at least 40 people were killed when a bomb went off after a football match in the town of Mubi in Adamawa. The apparent target was fans trying to leave after the final whistle.

In May, three people were killed in a blast outside a viewing centre showing the European Champions League final between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in Jos, the capital of Plateau state.