PM of Ethiopia escapes blast; 1 dead, several hurt

Addis Ababa: One person died and scores of others were hurt after a grenade blast at new Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s first mass rally in the capital that sent crowds fleeing in panic. Abiy had just wrapped up his speech before tens of thousands of people in the heart of Addis Ababa when the explosion went off, sending droves of supporters towards the stage as the Prime Minister left hurriedly.

Addis Ababa, June 23: An explosion struck a huge rally for Ethiopia’s reformist new prime minister on Saturday shortly after he spoke and was waving to the cheering crowd that turned out to support sweeping changes in Africa’s second most populous nation.

Addressing the country minutes after he was rushed to safety, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called the blast a “wellorchestrated attack” but one that failed.

He did not lay blame, but said police were investigating. Health minister Amir Aman confirmed one death while Abiy’s chief of staff said 83 people were hurt, six critically.

“The PM was the target,” a rally organiser, Seyoum Teshome, said.

“An individual tried to hurl the grenade toward a stage where the PM was sitting but was held back by the crowd.” The man with the grenade was wearing a police uniform, witness Abraham Tilahun said.

Police officers nearby quickly restrained him, he said. “Then we heard the explosion.”

AP video from the scene showed bloodstained ground and abandoned shoes while people chanting the prime minister’s name fled, some clutching their heads in shock and despair.