Breaking News: Explosion Kills 10 In Bauchi Red Light District

10 people have been killed in a Friday explosion in the red light district of Bauchi city, while 14 others were injured, Vanguard reports, citing police sources.

Although the cause of the blast was not immediately clear, Boko Haram Islamists are suspected to have been responsible for the attack as the sect has unleashed similar attacks on in the past.

Bauchi state police spokesman Mohammed Haruna said the targeted building in the Bayan Gari neighbourhood on the outskirts of the city was widely known as a brothel.

“Ten people were confirmed dead, while 14 others sustained various degrees of injury,” he said.

According to him, the explosion went off at roughly 10:00 pm local time.

“The entire area has been cordoned off and (the) scene secured,” Haruna said.

An estimated 10,000 people have been killed since the conflict began in 2009, according to government records, with over 2,000 deaths already recorded in 2014 alone.