Bogota car bomb kills six and injures at least 12

A CAR bomb exploded in central Bogota early yesterday, killing six people and injuring at least 12, authorities said.

The explosion occurred in a commercial area filled with electronic, clothing and liquor stores as employees were arriving for work. The goods sold in the San Andresito neighbourhood are contraband and cheaper than those found in legal shopping districts.

Residents had alerted police to a suspicious Jeep in the neighbourhood, police General Jorge Daniel Castro said. When police went to check it out, the bomb exploded, killing two officers, he said. Four civilians were also killed, and at least 12 were injured, Mayor Antanas Mockus said.