Bomb kills nine on Philippine bus

LONDON. October 21. KAZINFORM A bomb attack on a bus in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao has killed nine people, officials say; Kazinform refers to BBC.

Several more were hurt when the bomb, hidden in an overhead compartment, went off as the bus travelled through Matalam in Cotabato province.

More than 50 passengers were on board at the time of the blast.

Police said it was not clear who was behind the blast, but Mindanao is home to kidnappers, extortion gangs and Muslim insurgent groups.

"Eight people died on the spot and one at a local hospital where most of the bus passengers were treated for shrapnel wounds," Reuters news agency quoted Major-General Anthony Alcantara, army commander in central Mindanao, as saying.

"Our soldiers are helping the police investigate the bus explosion. We're still trying to establish the motive for the attack"; Kazinform cites BBC.

See www.bbc.co.uk for full version