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Nigeria: Military accidentally drops bomb on refugees, kills at least 52

by India Blooms News Service 17 Jan 2017, 08:25 pm

Abuja, Jan 18 (IBNS): An error by the Nigerian military turned fatal as they accidentally dropped a bomb on a refugee camp in Rann, killing at least 52 people and injuring hundreds, reports said.

Six Red Cross workers among among the 52 killed, BBC reported.

Over 200 people are estimated to have incurred injury, following the explosion.

"Our thoughts are now with the families of our colleagues who have lost their loved ones," the network quoted Red Cross spokeswoman Aleksandra Matijevic as saying.

Though the Nigerian military have owned up making the error, they said that such things happen from 'time to time'.

General Rabe Abubakar, a spokesman for the Nigerian military said, "In a military operation such as this, from time to time these things do occur."

The military spokesperson added that they were trying to eliminate Boko Haram insurgents, who were spotted near the refugee camp.