Puzzling explosions from trapped cars at Westgate Mall

By CYRUS OMBATI

NAIROBI; KENYA: Investigators at the Westgate Mall are puzzled by explosions they heard from cars trapped in rubble in the parking lot.

The two explosions were heard on Saturday evening from one of the yet to be retrieved cars more than two weeks after the building collapsed.

Officials working at the site said they were taken aback by the blasts and that they have yet to access where it occurred.

“We do not know what caused the loud explosions. We are working slowly before we arrive there,” said an official at the site who wished not to be named.

There are fears that some of the cars trapped there could have explosives.

This follows the discovery of a saloon car outside the mall believed to have been used by the terrorists during the raid. At the time of recovery, the car had explosives and weapons.

Investigators are still at the site to unravel the mystery behind the terror attack that killed more than 70 civilians including six security officers.

New footage

Four of the attackers have since been named. The Kenya Defence Forces said Abu Baara al-Sudani, Omar Nabhan, Khattab al-Kene and Umayr - shown in new CCTV footage - were killed during the standoff.

More than 50 cars remain unclaimed and a number of them were also burnt and destroyed in the attack.

A woman had told the investigators that a stranger, whom police are yet to trace, warned her of an impending attack shortly before it happened.

Some bodies are believed to be buried under the rubble in the mall, and will it take investigators more time to comb through it all.

FBI agents along with investigators from Britain, Canada, Israel and Germany have been dispatched to help with the probe.