A bomb attack took place in northern Bogota on Thursday evening, at the site of a bust of former Conservative Party President Laureano Gomez, damaging 13 residences.
City police, firefighters and other emergency workers were dispatched to the scene, to try to identify the explosive used in the attack. Bogota Mayor Clara Lopez said that authorities discovered that nearly 4.5 pounds of the explosive Indugel was used, newspaper El Espectador reported.
Authorities did not report any deaths or injuries caused by the explosion, but 13 residences were damaged, mainly with broken windows. The owners will be compensated by the government with the equivalent of two months’ salary. Meanwhile, the special police body DIJIN is investigating who is responsible for the incident.
At noon on Friday an extraordinary security council will take place, headed by the mayor, to evaluate the situation of public order in Bogota following the attack. The director of Accion Social, Defense Ministry employees and district security bodies will be present at the meeting, reported Caracol Radio.
“It is very harmful to our social environment and this was a savage attack for the city,” said Lopez, calling for the situation to be sorted out as quickly as possible.
In the meantime, Government Secretary Olga Lucia Velazquez called for calm and assured that there is full mobility in the area, despite the fact that the location of the attack was roped off.