Tanzania: church bombing leaves one woman dead, many injured

A day of celebration ended in tragedy yesterday, when an explosion just before the start of the inaugural Mass at a new church in Arusha, Tanzania, left one woman dead and seriously injured at least 44 other people.

The Papal Nuncio to Tanzania, Archbishop Francisco Montecillo Padilla, and Arusha Diocesan Bishop Josaphat Lebulu, were among the clergy about to celebrate Mass at St Joseph Mfanyakazi Roman Catholic Church in Arusha when the attack occurred. They are not among the seriously injured.

Eyewitnesses said a bomb was thrown at the church by someone on a motorcycle.

The motive for the attack is not known. Recently there has been increasing tension between the Christian and Muslim communities.

See earlier report: ICN 4 October 2012 Tanzania: bishop fears spread of radical Islamisation www.indcatholicnews.com/news.php?viewStory=21181