39 killed in Kenya mall attack(2)

Soldiers arrive at the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, Sept. 21, 2013. At least 20 people have been killed and more than 50 others wounded when masked gunmen stormed a popular shopping mall in the Kenyan capital Nairobi and held shoppers hostages on Saturday. (Xinhua/Zhang Chen)

A hostage freshly released by the captors reported machine-gun shooting at crowds of shoppers and many bodies on the ground after the killing spree.

Workers at the shopping mall said the hooded gunmen numbering around 10 attacked the building from the second floor of the shopping mall, where there was a media event. Some gunmen were seen armed with sophisticated weapons and shooting indiscriminately, while ordering people to lie on the ground.

"I heard an explosion followed by heavy shootout. I and my colleague tried to hide and then after some time, she escaped through the fire exist," Vivian Atieno, who works as a sales lady at mall, told Xinhua.

She said there were still more casualties trapped inside the building.

"Some of the workers and shoppers who attempted to escape were shot at and died instantly. Those injured were attempting to jump from the second to the first and then exit area but they could not manage," said David Muthee, who escaped from the mall.

According to the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, U.S. citizens were among the injured. "We have reports of American citizens injured in the attack, and the U.S. Embassy is actively reaching out to provide assistance."

"We condemn this senseless act of violence that has resulted in death and injury for many innocent men, women, and children. Our condolences go out to the families and friends of all victims," said a statement issued by the U.S. embassy.

The international community expressed concerned with the situation after attack and has been in constant touch with the Kenyan government. A statement from New York said the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon "is following closely and with alarm the attack on a shopping mall in Nairobi."

The statement said Ban has spoken to President Uhuru Kenyatta and expressed his concern as well as offered his solidarity as the Kenyan authorities handle the incident.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague also expressed concern over the attack, saying in a statement that he was "appalled by the attack." He said he was in close touch with Kenyan authorities about the attack in Nairobi, noting that his urgent priority is the welfare of British nationals in Kenya.

Unconfirmed reports said a suspect involved in the attack has been escorted to hospital by police in an operation carried out by a contingent of police officers who have surrounded the mall.