Kenya blast witness blames beared man

The scene of the explosion on a busy road in downtown Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, May 28, 2012. An explosion ripped through a building, full of small shops in downtown Nairobi on Monday, wounding an unknown number of people. The force of the blast ripped apart the one-story building's aluminum roof, but a high-rise building with a glass exterior right next to the blast did not appear to sustain major damage. There was no immediate word on casualties or what caused the blast. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)

The scene of the explosion on a busy road in downtown Nairobi, Kenya, Monday, May 28, 2012. An explosion ripped through a building, full of small shops in downtown Nairobi on Monday, wounding an unknown number of people. The force of the blast ripped apart the one-story building's aluminum roof, but a high-rise building with a glass exterior right next to the blast did not appear to sustain major damage. There was no immediate word on casualties or what caused the blast. (AP Photo/Sayyid Azim)

Published May 28, 2012

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Nairobi, Kenya -

A witness wounded in a blast in downtown Nairobi says that the explosion occurred soon after a bearded man left a bag near her stall.

Irene Wachira spoke to The Associated Press from a Nairobi hospital bed on Monday. Wachira said the man came to the stall three times and acted as if he were interested in buying something. Wachira said the third time he came with a bag, he left it behind and then there was a blast.

Wachira described the man as “Arabic-looking” because of his relatively light skin. A doctor told AP that another person wounded in the blast said a Somali-looking man left behind the bag.

Police have not directly blamed terrorism, but Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga called the explosion “a heinous act.” - Sapa-AP

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