Bus hits landmine in Burkina Faso, 10 dead, several missing

A passenger bus triggered a landmine in eastern Burkina Faso on Christmas Day, killing at least 10 people and leaving five others injured, according to a government statement on Monday. The bus was travelling from the Fada N'Gourma around 220 km (136 miles) from the capital Ouagadougou, to the border town of Kantchari near neighbouring Niger.

Colonel Hubert Yameogo, the regional governor, said the bus was travelling near the village of Bougui on Sunday afternoon when it hit the mine.

The injured were taken to the hospital in Fada N’Gourma, Yameogo informed. However, rest of the passengers on the bus disappeared. The government is trying to find those missing.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. The incident happened in an area where the government is battling insurgents linked to al Qaeda in north Africa and Islamic State fighters.

These insurgents control large portions of territory in Burkina Faso. Raids and blockades of several towns in the north and eastern regions of the country have been a common sight since 2015, killing more than 2,000 people and displacing nearly two million.

Al-Qaeda and ISIL-linked violence has slammed the country for over six years. The government has been unable to put a stop to the violence, which has led to two coups this year alone as military leaders promise to make the country more secure for the people.

The attack comes after another mine exploded in the east, between Ougarou and Matiacoali villages, injuring five soldiers.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE