Three killed in blast at Colombia shopping centre

Image copyrightNATALIO COSOY / BBC

Image captionThe Centro Andino mall was exacuated after the blast

Three women have been killed in the Colombian capital, Bogota, in what the authorities say was a terrorist attack.

An explosion occurred at a shopping centre north of the city centre. Eleven other people were injured in the attack.

Bogota's mayor Enrique Penalosa said that one of those who died was from France.

The authorities say they believe the explosion was caused by a small bomb in a ladies toilet.

The attack happened on a busy Saturday afternoon, when the shopping centre was full of people buying presents for Father's Day, being celebrated on Sunday.

A 23-year-old French woman who had been working as a volunteer at a school in the south of the city was the first victim to be identified.

The two others were 27 and 31, but their nationalities have not yet been released.

"This cowardly terrorist attack at the Centro Andino mall is deeply distressing," Mr Penalosa said.

It is not yet known who was behind the attack.