Blast rips upscale church in Nigeria

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JOS, Nigeria, March 11 (UPI) -- Authorities in Nigeria feared a high death toll from an explosion that rocked a church in an upscale part of the city of Jos Sunday.

Rescue crews rushed to St. Finbars Catholic Church in the Rayfield district, which The Daily Times of Nigeria described as a heavily guarded enclave of upper-income residents.

There was no immediate word on casualties; however, many people were feared dead, the Daily Times said. The explosion occurred during services, and the chaotic scene was compounded by jumpy soldiers firing their weapons among crowds of onlookers.

The blast was the second suspected church bombing in less than a month in Jos, which has been a hot bed of often deadly violence among different ethnic and religious groups.