Breaking: 2nd Palm Sunday Bombing Hits Cathedral in Central Alexandria
Multiple reports of a second church bombing in Alexandria on Palm Sunday have begun to surface as police forces and paramedics are currently rushing to scene.
While chaos and blood continue to dominate the scene in the city of Tanta north of Cairo after a bomb detonated this morning, killing at least 25 and injuring 71 citizens, a suicide bomber detonated himself further north in Egypt's 2nd biggest city, Alexandria, at the gates the city's St. Mark Cathedral near the Raml Train Station in the city's downtown, according to ON Live, citing unnamed Pope Tawadros II's assistant. No reports on the toll of death or injury have been released yet. According to Egyptian Streets, Pope Tawadros II was inside the cathedral at the time of the explosion but is reportedly safe.
Police and paramedics are currently rushing to the scene of the explosion. No further details are available at the moment but will update the story as it progresses.
Update: El Ahram reported 6 dead and 33 injured in the bombing of St. Mark Cathedral in Alexandria citing Ministry of Health Spokesperson, Khaled Megahed.
Update: RT Arabic estimates the death toll at 11, 3 of which are police officer, and the injured to have reached 36. The publication also mentioned that access of traffic is currently restricted to Alexandria's downtown.
Update: Da'esh claims responsibility for the bombing.
Update: A statement released by Da'esh's Amaq News Agency identified Alexandria's suicide bomber as Abu Bera' Al-Masry and that of the earlier Tanta attack as Abu Ishaq Al-Masry, Egyptian Streets reports.
Update: President Abdel-Fatah El Sisi declares state of emergency for 3 months, which will require parliament's approval within a window of 7 days according to Mada Masr.
(Photo: Downtown Alexandria after the explosion/Twitter User: Ghorbaz)