Bus blast at market leaves one dead in Philippines South

By Roy Ramos and Hader Glang

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines

A woman was killed and 33 other people were injured in a powerful bomb explosion Friday afternoon at a crowded market bus terminal in the Philippines' Muslim south.

City police spokesman Chief Insp. Joel Tutuh told reporters that the bomb had exploded aboard a bus that arrived around 2:15 p.m. (0715GMT) at the terminal in the predominantly Christian city of Zamboanga.

It went off while passengers were alighting from the vehicle near market stalls packed with vendors and shoppers.

"This is terrible... the explosion is so powerful that it wrecked the bus," TV 11 reported.

Tutuh placed the number of wounded passengers at 33.

Reporter Albert Luna, who was at the scene five minutes after the blast, said that the side of the bus was blown off and its roof ripped apart.

"I see women and children with blood being taken away by paramedics," Luna told the channel.

Co-reporter Emil Tuban quoted the bus driver and its dispatcher as saying they saw a man concealing his face with the hood of his jacket hurriedly leaving the area after he boarded the bus and left a suspicious package.

The driver is reported to have chased the hooded man, but before catching him a powerful explosion shook the area leaving the glass doors and windows of nearby shops shattered.

Acting Mayor Cesar Iturralde told reporters of 11 the injured were taken to the government-run Zamboanga City Medical Center, while the rest were brought to private hospitals.

Iturralde said the city government has already prepared assistance for victims.

Police are currently securing the area aroudn the market while the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team conducts an investigation

In Sept. 2013, the Moro National Liberation Front rebel group laid siege to Zamboanga City to protest the present peace process between one-time brothers in arms the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the goverment.

The crisis, which lasted more than two weeks, left more than 300 policemen, soldiers and civilians dead and thousands of residents from six villages displaced.