A suspected van ‘blast bomb’ exploded outside the courthouse in Derry on Saturday evening as members of the public entered a busy town centre.
The van, which is believed to have been hijacked, was taken to the Derry courthouse before being denoted at approximately 8:15pm.
A second suspicious car has been checked by police.
A loud explosion was followed by a scene of heavy fire.
The scene has been sealed off for examinations. The public has been warned to stay away from the area.
It is believed that police received a warning call but were unable to evacuate the area before the blast.
The scene at The Diamond where people are being evacuated following a car bomb explosion outside the #Derry Courthouse tonight. pic.twitter.com/lEuG1WpNCT
— Shaun Keenan (@Skeenan14) January 19, 2019
Local bars and businesses are now being evacuated as police extend the safety cordon. Residents from the Bishop’s Gate Hotel have been brought to nearby hotels for the night.
Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Councillor John Boyle condemned the act, saying it was ‘an attack on the local community’.
Sinn Féin MP Elisha McCallion also condemned the bomb attack.
The Foyle MP said: “This incident has shocked the local community. In particular, there are many elderly residents who live in the area who have been alarmed by this incident. Thankfully no one appears to have been injured in this incident.
“Derry is a city moving forward and no one wants this type of incident. It is not representative of the city. I would encourage anyone with information about this incident to bring it to the police.”
SDLP MLA Mark Durkan also condemned the suspected bombing, saying: “Whoever is responsible for this needs to get the message loud and clear: We do not want or need bombs and guns on our streets.
“We want to move Derry forward and will not let people, whatever heir (sic) agenda is, drag us back to the dark days of the past.”
More to follow…
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