UPDATE - 40 Somalis injured in truck bombing airlifted to Turkey

*UPDATES WITH REMARKS FROM SOMALI PRESIDENT, INFORMATION AND FOREIGN MINISTERS, OTHER DEVELOPMENTS, MINOR EDITS THROUGHOUT

By Hassan Istiila and Mohammad Dhaysane

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AA) - Up to 40 Somalis, who got critically injured in Saturday’s truck bombing in capital Mogadishu were airlifted to Turkey for medical treatment on Monday.

"The plane has now taken 40 injured and will return to take other injured," Deputy Prime Minister Mahdi Ahmed told a news conference.

The blast at a busy road junction, blamed on al-Shabaab, killed 276 people and wounded more than 300 others on Saturday.

Ahmed thanked the Turkish government for "its noble humanitarian position in helping Somalia in these critical circumstances".

Earlier, Turkey's Health Minister Ahmet Demircan arrived in the Somali capital to oversee Turkish assistance accompanied by 33 staff, including a medical team specializing in emergency services, the Turkish Embassy said in a statement.

The minister said Turkey shared the sadness of Somalis and outlined a plan to treat some of the victims in Turkey.

"Based on instructions given by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, we are working to offer assistance by providing medical aid and transporting casualties to Turkey where they will receive the necessary care," he told reporters.

A Turkish aircraft loaded with medical aid and emergency services workers, including 13 workers from the Turkish Red Crescent and the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority, landed in Mogadishu.

The Turkish humanitarian and medical aid was welcomed by the Somali government and people.

- Somali president thanks Turkey

Somalia's President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed on Monday said during a visit to Aden Adde International Airport in Mogadishu, that his government and Somali people would not forget Turkey's help.

"Turkish government and its citizens became the first nation to share their sadness about the Mogadishu truck bombing with their Somali people in this disastrous situation. Thanks for your dedication to your Somali brothers," Mohamed said.

"This is what our people expected from you," he added.

Information Minister Abdirahman Omar Osman also praised Turkey's help in a statement.

"Turkey has won the hearts and minds of Somali people by providing direct support that is visible and genuine," he said.

According to Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Garaad, Djibouti sent airplanes with 32 doctors to Mogadishu. Ethiopia, Kenya and Qatar also offered help, he said.

Rescue teams in Mogadishu are working a third consecutive day as over ten new bodies were discovered on Monday, according to local media.

A police officer told Anadolu Agency on condition of anonymity that over 100 people were still missing and the death toll could rise to almost 400.

The Somali government has set up a national disaster office in order to find the missing people.