STRONG CAR BOMB EXPLOSION ROCKS COLOMBIA RADIO STATION
Baku, August 12 (AZERTAC). A strong car bomb explosion caused considerable damage Thursday to the headquarters of Caracol Radio and other buildings nearby, authorities said.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who was sworn into office Saturday, called it a "terrorist act."
"We will not be intimidated," Santos said as he toured the bombing site. "We will continue battling terrorism with all determination."
No fatalities were reported, but nine people were wounded, said Bogota Mayor Samuel Moreno and Colombian Health Secretary Hector Zambrano.
Images from CNN affiliate Caracol TV showed blown-out windows at the radio station headquarters and adjacent buildings. The blast destroyed street-level store fronts.
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Twisted pieces of metal from cars and what appeared to be a charred engine block could be seen on the sidewalk, which was littered with shards of glass.
Investigators believe the bomb was hidden in a Chevrolet Swift vehicle. The license tag was B0483, police said.
Residents were evacuated and police cordoned off the street, which was vacant except for officers and other officials. Security was tightened in the area.
The explosion occurred around 5:30 a.m. (6:30 a.m. ET), said Gen. Cesar Pinzon, the capital city`s police commander.
Radio Caracol journalist Edison Molina was in the station`s newsroom at the time of the blast.
The building shook for about three seconds, Molina told Caracol TV, and the room filled with smoke. Lighting fixtures fell from the ceiling, which collapsed, he said.
"It was so strong, we thought it was in the building," he said.
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