MONTREAL — A car bombing in Algeria Wednesday killed 12 employees of SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. and wounded 15 others, the company said.
The Algerian employees of the construction and engineering company were on a bus headed to work at a water treatment facility in the North African country.
“It is with the greatest sadness that SNC-Lavalin learned of a terrorist attack earlier today on a bus carrying its Algerian employees to work on the Koudiat Acerdoune water treatment plant and distribution project in Algeria,” the company said in a statement.
SNC-Lavalin spokeswoman Gillian MacCormack said it was not clear whether the Canadian company had been singled out as a target in the attack.
Bomb disposal experts collect evidence at the site of the attack 150 kms east of Algiers (Zohra Bensemra/Reuters)
Related Articles
“We're concentrating on providing care and support for the families of the victims and the wounded,” she said in an interview.
A senior SNC-Lavalin executive is on his way to Algeria, she added.
Ms. MacCormack also said it is too early to say if the company is considering emergency measures – such as evacuating employees – at its construction projects in Algeria or in other high-risk countries where SNC-Lavalin has contracts.
“We are always monitoring the situation in countries where there is a high risk,” she said.
The company is active in more than 100 countries, including Libya, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and Venezuela.
The company said it is working closely with Algerian authorities to ensure the safety of its employees.
“SNC-Lavalin is proud of its longstanding relationship with the people of Algeria and of the many projects we have carried out together over more than 30 years,” it said. “We would like all our employees to know that we strongly deplore this act of terrorism, and that their health and safety remains a top priority for the company.”
The blast was one of two in Algeria Wednesday, the latest attacks in a lingering Islamist insurgency.
With files from Reuters
