32 Indian peacekeepers injured in blast in Congo: UN Mission

The blast hit the peacekeepers while they were out on a morning run. 1 child was also killed in the explosion.

Kinshasa

(Democratic Republic of Congo): An explosion killed a child and injured 32 Indian peacekeepers in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city of Goma on Tuesday, the UN mission there said.

The blast hit the peacekeepers while they were out on a morning run in the western Goma neighbourhood of Keyshero, the mission added. The cause was not immediately clear.

Ismael Salumu, an imam at a nearby mosque, said three peacekeepers were killed. "We just heard the explosion and the cries. We then ran over to see," he told Reuters.

About 18,000 uniformed UN personnel operate in Congo, where millions died in regional conflicts between 1996-2003 and dozens of armed groups continue to operate.