Police Collect Body Parts After Huge Nigeria Blast

A massive explosion ripped through a busy commuter bus station on the outskirts of Nigeria's capital of Abuja this morning, leaving 71 dead and 124 wounded, according to police. Reporters saw rescue workers and police gathering body parts, as well as ambulances rushing the wounded to the hospital. The blast, which appeared to come from a vehicle, ripped a four-foot hole in the ground and destroyed more than 30 other vehicles, causing secondary explosions as their fuel tanks ignited and burned.

"It affected quite a number of people because it was still very early in the morning and there was a lot of traffic," one emergency official said. No group has yet claimed responsibility, but suspicion immediately fell on the Boko Haram terrorist network, which typically operates far from Abuja but has been threatening to hit the capital. Last week, Boko Haram suspects detained at a security headquarters next-door to President Goodluck Jonathan's office staged a failed jailbreak, with suspected outside help, resulting in a shootout that left 21 detainees dead. (More Nigeria stories.)