Shopping mall toilet explodes, 12 injured

At least three women were killed and nine others injured after an explosive device was detonated in a toilet inside a busy shopping mall in the Colombian capital.

Police and rescue workers outside the Andino shopping center. Photo: Reuters

Reuters reported that the explosion occurred in the Andino shopping center in the special zone of Bogota, the capital of Colombia, at around 5:00 p.m. on Saturday (June 17, local time).

Police said an explosive device was placed in a toilet in the second-floor women’s restroom of the mall. The bombing killed at least three women and injured nine others, including a 23-year-old French woman who was volunteering in a poor area of ​​the city.

Photos taken at the scene showed the bathroom destroyed, with debris scattered and the victims' blood splattered everywhere.

Bogota Mayor Enrique Penalosa later condemned the attack on Twitter: “The cowardly terrorist attack in Andino pains me deeply.”

Security forces guard the scene. Photo: Reuters

According to Reuters, to ensure security, the streets around the shopping mall were blocked off, and everyone in the mall and neighboring buildings were evacuated.

Police are investigating the attack. Bomb experts are also working hard to find similar explosive devices at the scene.

People in panic after the attack. Photo: Reuters

Security in Bogota has improved over the past decade, with increased police and military surveillance and armed patrols on the streets. Previously, all bags had to be checked at the entrance to shopping malls, but this has been scaled back in recent years.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos condemned the attack and ordered an investigation to identify the mastermind.

According to TPO