Road blast kills 8 people in coastal Kenya

LAMU, Kenya, June 27 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people -- four police officers and four school children -- were killed on Tuesday in a roadside explosion in Kenya's Lamu coastal region in the latest attack by suspected Al-Shabaab militants.

Regional police commander Phillip Tuimur confirmed the incident which took place along Kiunga when the vehicle they were travelling in ran over an improvised explosive device (IED) amid fears the death toll may increase.

"Rapid border deployment unit on board a lorry hit an IED along Marrani-Kiunga road. On board were pupils from Kiunga primary school who had gone for Eid celebrations at their homes at Mararani from Kiunga," Tuimur said.