THE TELEGRAPH: Security guards at the hotel shattered by a suicide blast in Pakistan launched a frantic attempt to prevent the truck bomb detonating in the minutes before it exploded, killing at least 53 people.
CCTV footage released yesterday showed the truck carrying the biggest ever bomb used by terrorists in Pakistan being driven into the gates of the Marriott hotel in Islamabad on Saturday evening.
The driver detonated the bomb, causing a fire in the truck, but the explosion failed to set off an estimated 660kg bomb in the rear of his vehicle.
Guards rushed to extinguish the flames but four minutes later the main bomb went off, blowing apart the hotel and leaving a crater 24ft deep [7m] and 59ft [18m] wide in what was described by local commentators as “Pakistan’s 9/11”.
Among the dead were the Czech Republic’s ambassador, Ivo Zdarek, his Vietnamese fiancée and two American soldiers. A Danish diplomat is still missing.
Six Britons were among almost 300 people injured and two of them – both staff at the British High Commission – remained in hospital last night. Pakistani officials, who accused Taliban leaders allied to al-Qaeda of being responsible for the plot, praised the courage of the guards as the attack unfolded. Islamabard Hotel Blast ‘Was Pakistan’s 9/11’ >>> By Isambard Wilkinson in Islamabad | September 22, 2008
THE TELEGRAPH:
Marriott Bombing in Islamabad Must Wake Pakistan Up >>> | September 22, 2008
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