STORY: Several injuries reported in two explosions in eastern DR Congo
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 2, 2024
DATELINE: Feb. 3, 2024
LENGTH: 0:03:27
LOCATION: GOMA, DR Congo
CATEGORY: OTHERS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the explosion site at a school near Goma, DR Congo
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Swahili): FURAHA PASCA, Resident
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (Swahili): ARSENE IRUNVA, Resident
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Swahili): DJUMA PILI RAMAZANI, Expert in explosive devices

STORYLINE

Several injuries were reported Friday after two explosive devices fell on a primary school in Mugunga, a peripheral district of Goma, the capital of the North Kivu province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a Xinhua correspondent saw on site.

The provisional report said some of the injured are in critical condition and have been taken to surrounding hospitals, as the school building was destroyed by the explosions.

SOUNDBITE 1 (Swahili): FURAHA PASCA, Resident
"A bomb has just injured two people, an elderly woman and a 12-year-old girl. This woman is 80 years old. These are two people injured in this explosion. Now, they have been taken to the hospital nearby for care."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Swahili): ARSENE IRUNVA, Resident
"We were sitting calmly when this old woman living in this house had just greeted me. Suddenly, we saw a bomb coming from Sake exploded. When I glanced, it was the dust that I saw. These two houses were destroyed and nothing came out of them. I have just come from the hospital where the two injured people are being taken care of. I do not know if there are other people left who have not yet been identified."

Local media accuse rebels of the March 23 Movement (M23) of deliberately launching two bombs.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Swahili): DJUMA PILI RAMAZANI, Expert in explosive devices
"This bomb that I have seen is of the large caliber stream type. I have just identified it from its carcass. I call on the population to remain calm and support us in this difficult work. They continue to collaborate with the local authorities."

Since last week, at least three people have been killed in other explosions against civilian households in the town of Sake, located a few km away from Goma.

Fightings between the DRC military and the M23 rebels have raged near Goma over the past weeks.

Xinhua correspondents reporting from Goma, DR Congo.
(XHTV)