No Bangladeshi 'affected by Nairobi attack'

22 September 2013, 15:10 PM

UPDATED 22 September 2013, 21:11 PM

Star Online Report

This AP file photo shows people managed to flee the shopping centre as gun-battle began in Nairoby, Kenya. No Bangladeshi national has been affected in Saturday's attack on a Nairobi shopping centre, a senior official at the Bangladesh foreign ministry says. “There are around 150 Bangladeshi nationals in Kenya. None of them has been affected at a terrorist attack at the Westgate shopping centre,” said Shameem Ahsan, director general of external publicity wing of the ministry quoting Bangladesh high commission in Nairobi. At least 59 people were killed and 175 injured in the attack, according to a BBC report. Kenyan minister Joe Lenku said 1,000 people had managed to escape from the upscale shopping mall after the assault by suspected al-Shabab militants. He added that between 10 to 15 attackers were still in the building. It was not known how many civilians remain trapped there – either as hostages or hiding from the militants. This is one of the worst incidents in Kenya since the attack on the United State’s embassy in August 1998.