27 Injured in Blast at South Africa Bus Terminal

A bomb exploded Friday at a crowded black bus terminal in Johannesburg, injuring 27 people in what appeared to be the work of right-wing extremists, authorities said.

The bombing was the most serious of six explosions in the past week in Johannesburg. White extremists claimed responsibility for the previous blasts, but there was no such claim after Friday’s explosion.

“The ultra-right and neo-fascist forces . . . are on the rampage,” said the African National Congress, the country’s largest black opposition group. “The ANC demands that authorities disarm and disband the ultra-right groups.”

The bomb went off in the city center during the morning rush hour in an area where buses used by blacks let off and pick up passengers. Thousands of blacks from townships outside Johannesburg pass through the area every day.

Police said the bomb, hidden in a trash can, sent pieces of concrete and debris hurtling through the air, hitting people standing in bus lines and passers-by. Doctors said most of the injuries were relatively minor.

Right-wing whites have expressed outrage at President Frederik W. de Klerk’s stated plans to end apartheid and share power with the country’s 30 million blacks. The 5 million whites now dominate politics and the economy.

The previous bombs were aimed at whites involved in efforts to end apartheid, but caused no injuries and only minor damage. A shadowy group calling itself the White Wolves claimed responsibility.