24 March 2010 - 22H41  

Car bomb in Colombia kills five, leaves 18 injured
Colombian soldiers and police officers collect evidence at the site of a bomb attack in Buenaventura, Colombia. A car bomb exploded near the mayor's office in the Colombian port city of Buenaventura on Wednesday, killing five people and injuring 18 others, local authorities said.
Colombian soldiers and police officers collect evidence at the site of a bomb attack in Buenaventura, Colombia. A car bomb exploded near the mayor's office in the Colombian port city of Buenaventura on Wednesday, killing five people and injuring 18 others, local authorities said.

AFP - A car bomb exploded near the mayor's office in the Colombian port city of Buenaventura on Wednesday, killing five people and injuring 18 others, local authorities said.

"We have information that five people are dead," said Andres Santamaria, a prosecutor for the state of Valle del Cauca, which includes Buenaventura.

Officials said the blast occurred at around 9:30 am local time (1430 GMT).

Army General Freddy Padilla blamed leftist rebels with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

"Surely this was the FARC," Padilla said.

Among the injured there were four seriously hurt, Caracol television reported.

One of Colombia's poorest cities, Buenavista, some 550 kilometers (340 miles) from Bogota, faces daily challenges from rebels, drug traffickers and other criminals.

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