Children Escape Bomb Blast

...a visit to the cinema nearly ended in tragedy...

A visit to the cinema nearly ended in tragedy this afternoon (20th December) for a group from Funvini, the Colombian offshoot of Let The Children Live!, when a bomb exploded without warning on the other side of the building just as they were leaving it. The party of 36 children and 5 adults had been to see the Harry Potter film as a pre-Christmas treat.

The cinema to which they went is located in the Colteger Building, the tallest structure in the centre of Medellín. The area was crowded with Christmas shoppers at the time, but fortunately only four people were hurt, and first reports state that they were not seriously injured. All of the Funvini group returned home safely.

It is not yet known who was responsible for the blast, but it is probable that it was a group that was trying to "vaccinate" - extort protection money from - local businesses. There have been several such bombings in the city this year, and this incident shows the danger to which the children there are all too frequently exposed.