Nairobi’s gleaming Westgate mall.. This is the destruction they left inside the mall.
NAIROBI,
Kenya A top-ranking government official tells The Associated Press that
Kenya’s military caused the massive collapse of three floors during the
terrorist siege on Nairobi’s Westgate Mall. (View photos of the wreckage here)
When asked Friday if military action against the hostage takers caused
the collapse, the official answered: “Yes.”The official also confirmed
that Kenyan troops fired rocket-propelled grenades inside the mall, but
would not say what was used to cause the collapse. The official insisted
on anonymity because he was sharing sensitive intelligence information
that has not been publicly released.
The
top official’s confirmation backs up information given to AP by another
official on Wednesday, who said soldiers were responsible for the
collapse which created a gaping hole in the mall’s roof. That official
said fired RPGs caused the collapse.CBS News correspondent Charlie
D’Agata reported on Thursday that a government official believes that
the rocket-propelled grenades knocked out a supporting column in
Westgate Mall – although a military explosives expert told CBS News that
this was probably unlikely.
Four
huge explosions rocked the mall Monday followed by dark smoke pouring
from the shopping center, the likely time that the floors collapsed. The
government hasn’t publicly explained what caused the floors to
collapse. One official earlier suggested it was caused by a mattress
fire inside the Nakumatt department store.
It
is believed the collapse of the floors helped to bring an end to the
four-day siege at the mall, but it may have killed hostages still
inside. Forensic teams have been at work collecting fingerprints and DNA
to identify attackers and victims while ballistics experts have been
identifying the weapons used.
The
official who spoke on Friday said autopsies on bodies under the rubble
will show if those people were killed by the building collapse or had
been slain earlier by the terrorists. The official said bodies are
expected to be found after excavation of the roof collapse begins.
D’Agata
reported on Friday that FBI agents and dozens of other foreign
investigators – as many as 50 – are currently inside the mall collecting
evidence. There are ongoing fears the mall might be booby trapped, or
at the very least strewn with unexploded munitions and grenades.
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