Baghdad, March 17
A large explosion destroyed a hotel in central Baghdad tonight, killing up to 25 persons and injuring 45, the Iraqi police said. A US soldier at the scene said the damage was consistent with that of a car bomb.
Rescuers pulled bodies from the rubble of the five-story Hotel Jabal Lebanon. The explosion left a huge crater. Five adjacent buildings were badly damaged.
Flames shot skyward, and heavy smoke rose behind a central square from the area of the blast. Trees were on fire, and flames jumped to nearby buildings. Eight cars caught fire and one vehicle was hurled by the blast into a store.
An Iraqi police officer at the scene said as many as 25 persons died, adding that the toll could rise. Dozens of US soldiers in army vehicles arrived and started to clear crowds. Earlier, ambulances raced to the scene.
The area of the blast, Karrada, is a mix of residential and commercial buildings.
Washington: Reacting to the blast just days before the Iraq war’s first anniversary, the White House today said it would not sway US determination to bring democracy to the country. “We will meet this test with strength and resolve,” White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.
— Agencies
