Security alert after Derry bomb blast
Army bomb experts remain at the scene of an ongoing security operation following an explosion in a residential area of Londonderry on Monday night.
A number of homes were evacuated after reports of the blast in the Crawford Square area of the city were received shortly before 11pm.
Police said they received a bomb warning shortly before the explosion.
“There are no reports of any injuries at this time,” a PSNI spokesman said.
Justice Minister David Ford said the explosion caused damage to local businesses, including the Probation Service.
He said the bomb attack was an attack “on the entire community”.
The Alliance leader said: “Whoever planned, assembled and set off the bomb in Derry on Monday night have nothing positive to offer the community.
“It put the lives of local people at risk and forced them to leave their homes.”
First Minister Peter Robinson tweeted: “Those who want to take us back will not win. Democracy will always triumph over terror.”
The DUP leader condemned the bomb attack as “a reckless and senseless act”.
Meanwhile Sinn Féin MLA Raymond McCartney has condemned those responsible for what he called a “reckless attack in a built-up residential area”.
“This has brought nothing but disruption to the lives of local people and to the city generally.
“This is a city moving forward and the people have made it clear that they do not want these type of incidents.
“We will not allow a tiny minority to drag us back to the past,” he added.
Police and army bomb experts remained at the scene overnight.
Earlier police said they were examining another suspicious object “in the area close the scene of the explosion”. It is understood the area has now been cleared.
Crawford Square in Derry remains closed, while Northland Road is open to traffic.
Bomb squad arrives at scene of Derry alert in Crawford Sq. Reports of explosion & fears of 2nd device pic.twitter.com/aayVcJGdIW
— Gareth Wilkinson (@Gwilkinson_utv) April 28, 2015
