A deadly explosion ripped through the Somali capital, Mogadishu on Saturday. In the hours following the explosion, the death toll stood at 20. However, on Monday, the figure had jumped to a devastating 276.

With 300 others injured and many victims burned beyond recognition, authorities termed the explosion the "deadliest attack ever” to hit war-torn Somalia.

Hundreds of people, chanting anti-violence slogans and wearing red or white bandanas around their heads in a show of grief, took to the streets of Mogadishu to condemn the deadly attack that has shocked Somalians.

Rescue operations continued with rescuers working through the night to try to pull bodies from the rubble after the truck bomb exploded outside of the Safari Hotel on a busy road junction, levelling buildings and leaving many vehicles in flames.