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WORLD NEWS Friday 16 February 2018

Bolivia is shaken by 2 explosions that kill 12 people

hospitalized for serious inju-
ries.
“We’re poor. We’re inno-
cent. Our whole family has
been destroyed,” said a
grandmother, Maxima So-
lares. “If there’s no justice,
I will demand it from Evo
Morales.”
The boy’s mother, Deme-
tria Massi, had not been
told her toddler son died.
Oruro is about 135 miles
(220 kilometers) southeast
of La Paz, and its Carnival
draws thousands of people
who dance through the
streets in elaborate, color-
ful costumes while brass
bands blare.
A doctor attends Demetria Masi, a victim of an explosion, at the General hospital in Oruro, Bolivia, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018. Bolivian Street vendors were of-
officials said Wednesday that a bomb was what caused an explosion that killed four people during Carnival celebrations in Oruro. fended when authorities
(AP Photo/Juan Karita) blamed the first explosion
on a food vendor’s gas
By CARLOS VALDEZ eight dead late Saturday tained for questioning after confined to drug dealer canister.
Associated Press and was initially blamed on Tuesday night's explosion turf wars. The last bomb- “That’s not true. We think it
ORURO, Bolivia (AP) — Chil- a food vendor's leaking gas were released Wednesday. ings occurred more than was an attack,” said Eliza-
dren returned to school canister. Local prosecutor "Nothing has been ruled 35 years ago during a 1980- beth Herrera, a street ven-
Thursday and nervous Mario Rocha said Thursday out, not even a political 1981 dictatorship. dor whose daughter and
adults tried to get back to that investigators had not motive," said Rocha. "We're “It’s strange and atypical two of her granddaughters
normal after being stunned found any pieces of a gas still carrying out the inves- ... in a country that is not were killed by the first blast.
by two deadly explosions canister. tigations and there is no used to bloody acts,” said “We’re the victims,” she
during this mining city's exu- As residents called for an- deadline. There are no ar- Franklin Pareja, a professor said. The crater left by the
berant Carnival celebra- swers, officials sought to rests." of political science at Pub- second blast has been cor-
tions. People remained on determine if the blasts were A political attack would be lic University of La Paz. doned off by police, but
edge as authorities sought connected and who might a startling development for People in a poor neighbor- the streets remain largely
explanations for the two have been responsible for modern Bolivia. No guerrilla hood held a wake Thursday unpatrolled and residents
blasts in normally peace- the explosions in Oruro, or major violent groups op- for 3-year-old Alex Queka- worry about the safety of
ful Bolivia. A crater gouged which is the capital of Presi- erate in the Andean coun- na, who was killed by Tues- their loved ones as the city
into the ground at one site dent Evo Morales' home try of 11 million people, day’s explosion. His father, gets back into its normal
and splintered chairs scat- province. Three people de- where violence is mostly mother and a brother are routines. q
tered on a nearby street
provide grim reminders of
the 12 people killed and Heavy rain, high winds leave 4 dead in Rio de Janeiro
50 injured. Police have
blamed a bomb made SAO PAULO (AP) — Heavy er and were forced to run The mayor's office said that City officials said four peo-
of dynamite, ammonium rain and high winds in Rio on generators. By Thursday the rainfall in one area was ple died and three were
nitrate and fuel oil for a de Janeiro have left four evening, authorities had the highest recorded since injured in the storms. The
Tuesday night blast that people dead. cordoned off more than authorities began gather- dead included a military
killed four. After the blast, Overnight storms flooded 50 homes that had been ing data in 1997. It received police officer. Isolated rain-
officials said they were re- roads, downed trees and severely damaged in the more rain in an hour than storms are expected in the
examining an explosion damaged several homes. Alemao slum complex and it would normally receive coming days but winds
two blocks away that left Several hospitals lost pow- another neighborhood. throughout February. should die down.q