Suicide bombers detonated an explosion that tore through a marketplace Friday in eastern Nigeria, killing at least 31 people and injuring dozens of others, Adamawa State Police Spokesman Othman Abubakar said.
The blast happened in the town of Yola, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of the border with Cameroon, said Sa’ad Bello, the coordinator for the country’s National Emergency Management Agency in Adamawa state.
Thirty-eight people were sent to a hospital with injuries; others with minor injuries were treated and discharged at the scene, Bello said.
The attackers caused maximum damage by pretending to be in a fight with each other outside the marketplace before detonating their explosives, Abubakar said.
“The scene naturally attracted people around who gathered around the two men to find out what the problem was and possibly settle whatever dispute led to the fight,” Abubakr said, “As soon as the crowd gathered the two men detonated their explosives, killing a considerable number and injuring many.”