ADDIS ABABA, May 12 (Xinhua) -- Four people were killed and 19 seriously wounded while 16 others sustained light injuries in series of bomb blasts carried out Friday at various areas in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, police said.

    Police said in a statement that the explosions, which occurred before noon, killed two people, wounding seven seriously and sevenothers lightly.

    The first blast occurred at 4:50 a.m. (0150 GMT) in Addis Ababa's busy Piassa commercial district, damaging an office building ofthe Ethiopian Airlines. The next damaged the headquarters of AddisAbaba's electricity firm EEPCo. Bombs planted on city bus No. 77 and in a cafeteria killed two people.

    In the afternoon, four blasts occurred at various places targeting again civilians and two other people were killed as a result, police said.

    The statement said the explosion targeted civilians and urged the public to be on guard and tip off security forces upon witnessing suspicious acts.

    It said the blasts were deliberately orchestrated to wreck havoc, condemning the heinous crime committed against peaceful citizens.

    The bombings came just before Monday's anniversary of last year's parliamentary election, in which Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's victorious ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) was accused of rigging. Enditem