
Scores of people have been killed in a bombing at a crowded bus station on the outskirts of Nigeria's capital, Abuja.

The powerful explosion rocked the Nyanya station, leaving bodies scattered across the terminal and destroying dozens of vehicles.

The attack happened during the morning rush hour as many workers tried to board buses and taxis.

Ambulances have taken the dead and injured to nearby hospitals.

The attack is said to be one of the worst ever to have taken place within Nigeria's federal capital territory, which includes Abuja and surrounding areas.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan pointed the finger of blame at Boko Haram. The militant Islamist group has been waging an insurgency mostly in north-eastern Nigeria since 2009.

The blasts ripped a huge hole in the ground at the terminal and caused secondary explosions as petrol tanks in nearby vehicles ignited.

The main explosion "emanated from a vehicle" parked in the station, according to Charles Otegbade, head of search and rescue at the National Emergency Management Agency.

Boko Haram has carried out several previous attacks in and around Abuja, including a bombing at the UN headquarters in 2011 that killed at least 23 people.

Visiting the scene of the latest bombing, President Jonathan (centre) vowed that Nigeria would overcome the Boko Haram insurgency.