Post by Salem6 on Jan 28, 2004 7:06:53 GMT
Several people are reported to have been killed in an explosion in Baghdad.
The blast hit the Shaheen hotel near the banks of the River Tigris and close to the former US embassy at around 0630 (0330 GMT).
The blast severely damaged the Shaheen hotel
Black smoke was seen pouring from the hotel as dazed guests emptied out onto the streets.
It comes a day after six American troops, two CNN employees and two Iraqi civilians were killed in violence in and around the Iraqi capital.
Burnt out cars
A Reuters correspondent at the scene of the blast said it appeared to have been caused by a car bomb.
"It blew out the whole front of the hotel and there are at least five burnt out cars scattered around. There are also several bodies," he said.
Iraqi police spokesman Ahmed Abdul Karim told AFP news agency at least three people had been killed.
He said witnesses said the bomb was hidden in an ambulance which was driven at the hotel at high speed.
A police post across the road was also hit by the blast.
The hotel is said to be popular with foreign businessmen.
US military forces have sealed off the area in the Karrada district and rescuers are searching for people trapped in the rubble.
On 1 January, eight people were killed when a car bomb tore through a restaurant in Karrada.
Bloodshed
Hours before the latest blast, three US soldiers and two Iraqi civilians died when a roadside bomb hit an army convoy in Khaldiya, west of Baghdad.
Another roadside bomb killed three US soldiers near Iskandariya, south of the Iraqi capital.
The two CNN employees died in a drive-by shooting, on the southern outskirts of Baghdad.
The area around Khaldiya, 70 kilometres (50 miles) from the capital, has seen regular attacks on coalition forces.
Video:-
The BBC's Mike Wooldridge
" Dazed guests came out onto the street"
news.bbc.co.uk/media/video/39791000/rm/_39791153_bomb05_wooldridge28_vi.ram
The blast hit the Shaheen hotel near the banks of the River Tigris and close to the former US embassy at around 0630 (0330 GMT).
The blast severely damaged the Shaheen hotel
Black smoke was seen pouring from the hotel as dazed guests emptied out onto the streets.
It comes a day after six American troops, two CNN employees and two Iraqi civilians were killed in violence in and around the Iraqi capital.
Burnt out cars
A Reuters correspondent at the scene of the blast said it appeared to have been caused by a car bomb.
"It blew out the whole front of the hotel and there are at least five burnt out cars scattered around. There are also several bodies," he said.
Iraqi police spokesman Ahmed Abdul Karim told AFP news agency at least three people had been killed.
He said witnesses said the bomb was hidden in an ambulance which was driven at the hotel at high speed.
A police post across the road was also hit by the blast.
The hotel is said to be popular with foreign businessmen.
US military forces have sealed off the area in the Karrada district and rescuers are searching for people trapped in the rubble.
On 1 January, eight people were killed when a car bomb tore through a restaurant in Karrada.
Bloodshed
Hours before the latest blast, three US soldiers and two Iraqi civilians died when a roadside bomb hit an army convoy in Khaldiya, west of Baghdad.
Another roadside bomb killed three US soldiers near Iskandariya, south of the Iraqi capital.
The two CNN employees died in a drive-by shooting, on the southern outskirts of Baghdad.
The area around Khaldiya, 70 kilometres (50 miles) from the capital, has seen regular attacks on coalition forces.
Video:-
The BBC's Mike Wooldridge
" Dazed guests came out onto the street"
news.bbc.co.uk/media/video/39791000/rm/_39791153_bomb05_wooldridge28_vi.ram