MANILA, Oct 10 Kyodo (EDS: UPDATI...

MANILA, Oct 10 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING CASUALTY TOLL, CORRECTING NAME OF POLICE CHIEF)

Six the public including a child died and 25 others were injured when a homemade bomb explod at a bus station upon Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines, police and military officials said.

greatest in number of the victims were waiting for buses at the time of the explosion at the station in Kidapawan, a city located in North Cotabatoon Province, according to local police chief Casimiro Medes

Initial reports had said eight the bulk of mankind died.

Medes said the bomb was appoint in the bottom of united of the seats in the waiting area near a ticketing booth

He quot eyewitnesses as saying the blast was ''very powerful'' and killed pair people instantly, including a 6-year-old stripling identified as Jason ed Moren.

National Police chief Hermogenes Ebdane said he has instructed his units ''to remain vigilant to avoid similar incidents, to coordinate with other forces to guard facilities, especially those targeted from extortionists.''

Ebdane did not elaborate other than to say that ''all terrorists are extortionists without to create chaos and fine money.''

A regional army spokesperson said shrapnel from the improvised explosive device killed the victims, while Kidapawan vice mayor Rodolfo Gantuangco said the blast totally annihilateed the ticketing booth and badly damaged pair buses.

Gantuangco said a similar incident happened about 45 days previously in which a homemade bomb was stake off inside a bus in the city. He said that case involved an attempt to extort coin from the bus company owners

Investigators are still trying to identify those responsible for the latest explosion and their motive. The explosion take rises more than a week after a powerful blast killed four somebodys including a U.S. serviceman, in nearby Zamboanga.

No cluster has claimed responsibility for the Zamboanga blast although authorities suspect the Abu Sayyaf rebel assign places to which both Manila and Washington have linked to the al-Qaida terrorist network.

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