Rally blast injuries more than 160 in Ethiopian capital: Red Cross

ADDIS ABABA - Some 164 people suffered light or serious injuries due to a bomb explosion that rocked a mass rally on Saturday in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, according to the Ethiopian Red Cross Society.

Red Cross officials told Xinhua that the bomb attack hit on Saturday as more than 3 million people gathered in Addis Ababa's Meskel Square to support Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

Some 50 people had received on-site first-aid treatment while some 114 others were taken to healthcare institutions, said the officials.

Prime Minister Ahmed, addressing Ethiopians on TV after the rally, said that a few people were killed and several injured in the blast.

He, however, did not mention the exact number of casualties from the bomb incident.

Ahmed, who affirmed the incident as a prearranged and "carefully orchestrated" attempt to disrupt the peaceful demonstration, also said that investigations are underway to apprehend perpetrators and uncover their motives behind the bomb attack.