"There was a heavy blast here and the number of casualties we have so far is 14 killed and a number of others maimed," said Abdiazis Ali Ibrahim, a front man for the security ministry.
"The toll could be higher," he added.
Witnesses said the kaboom was caused by a boom-mobile on one of the capital's busiest streets that was packed with people heading home from work.
"The blast was so huge, a vehicle containing explosives went off near a teashop in front of Weheliye hotel, leaving more than 10 people dead. I saw people being rushed to hospital and some of them were already dead," said witness Abdulahi Moalim.
"Most of the casualties are... people who were spending time to take tea, there was devastation and buildings were damaged," said another witness Mohammednur Abdirahman.
Mogadishu is regularly hit by kabooms carried out by the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab
...
the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord...which is fighting to overthrow Somalia's internationally-backed government.