Over 65 people including a US national and six other foreigners were killed and more than 185 injured as a massive suicide blast occurred at heavily guarded Marriott Hotel situated in high security zone shaking up the Federal Capital here on Saturday evening.
The explosive-laden mini truck struck the reception of the Marriott Hotel, after a vehicle destroyed the barriers to give way to the truck. The death toll is feared to cross 100, as efforts are underway to bring out the people trapped in the hotel debris. The ambulances were rushing the injured to the hospitals till the filing of this report.
The blast, which occurred only a few hours after conclusion of President Zardari first address to the parliament, was described as the deadliest one in Pakistan history with more than five suicide bombers riding the mini truck loaded around 1,000 kilogram explosive struck the hotel as people inside were dinning just after the Iftar.
Suicide bombers seemed to have taken the advantage as the security officials might have lowered their guards for Iftar. The blast, which was termed as 9/11 of Pakistan by some analysts, caused a crater of over 25 feet leaving almost the entire hotel building on fire. There were some reports that no VVIP or VIP was present in the hotel.
The bang of the suicide explosion was so intense that it was heard in a radius of 32 kilometers and created panic and chaos in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The blast has completely wrecked the six-storey Marriott Hotel even of high security alert was issued in the Capital due to President's address to the Parliament.
The blast ruined more than 100 vehicles parked in the hotel parking area. The road in front of the hotel was giving a site a complete destruction as the blast damaged the vehicles and trees. The ambulances of all the hospitals, Edhi Foundation, Rescue 1122 and other organisations rushed to the scene for rescue operation.
Fire engines of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Army and Air Force were in the operation to extinguish the fire. The explosion caused damages to adjacent buildings of the hotel including multi-storey Evacuee Trust Building (ETB), Frontier and Balochistan Houses, as the rescuers recovered 5 dead bodies from ETB adjacent to the hotel. Dozens of drivers who were in vehicles outside the hotel were also injured in the incident.
The explosion and fire caused huge damage to hotel, feared to collapse at any time. Army Engineering Corps was called to take charge of the hotel to avert any more loss due to destruction of the Marriott Hotel. The inspector General of Police Islamabad, Raza Gardezi told reporters that a Shahzor truck was used in the suicide attack.
He confirmed the death of 40 people but said that the rescue operation was still going on and exact figure could not be given. He said that the Army bomb disposal squad was called which took charge and cordoned off the area for search and collect any evidences.
Sadruddin Hashwani, the owner of the Marriott Hotel, told reporters that more than 600 employees are working in one shift while there were more than 400 guests in different halls and rooms of the hotel at the time of the blast. He said that hotel has 310 rooms and 90 out of them were occupied by foreigners.
US embassy spokesman said there was no American diplomat in the hotel, while the mission is collecting the details about American citizens staying in the hotel. The Saudi envoy Saud Al Aseri said that 16 Saudi nationals were staying in the hotel. He said that four to six Saudis were still missing.
It was a very well planned suicide attack as the terrorists first neutralised the security guards of the hotel and police officials by resorting firing and gained passage for the explosive laden vehicle to detonate it inside the hotel compound, a security official told this scribe. He said that two vehicles were used as the first vehicle destroyed the barrier while another entered in the compound and detonated in front of the hotel reception.
Sultan Ahmed, a hotel employee working in Nadia Coffee Shop of the hotel told this scribe that he was in the kitchen when bomb exploded resulting and complete death and destruction. He said that the number of guests in coffee shop was very small but huge rush outside.
The emergency was declared in all the hospitals of Federal Capital of Islamabad and Rawalpindi following a deadliest suicide blast that fill the hospitals with 65 dead bodies and 182 injured.
As many as nine dead bodies and 70 injured were brought to the Federal Government Services Hospital (FGHS), a couple of miles away from the site of blast. About 20 injured were immediately shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as most of the injured were in critical condition with some of them amputated.
Because of the shortage of beds the wounded were shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Shift International and Capital Development Authority (CDA) hospitals after giving firs aid. A chaos like situation was in and out side the hospital with administration rushing with stretchers to shift the injured from ambulances to the hospital.
The hospital ran short of blood for which administration appealed to the people overlooking the hospital wall inquiring about their dear ones. With ambulances still rushing to the hospital were diverted to PIMS and CDA Hospital as there was no more bed space to accommodate the injured in FGSH hospital.
About 30 dead bodies and 105 injured were brought to the PIMS where Hospital administration has arranged additional beds and established special OPD. Similarly, seven dead bodies and 17 injured were brought to the CDA hospital. All the hospitals' emergency and ICU have been filled up with critical injured while hospital administrations were making repeated calls for blood donation.
Meanwhile, well-placed official sources told the Business Recorder that there were intelligence reports of suicide attack in Federal Capital on the occasion of President Zardari's speech to joint session of the Parliament.
They said that the target was Parliament or Gate No 1 of the Prime Minister House. However, due to high security blanket around the red zone the terrorist could not translate their plan into reality. They said that the information was that an explosive laden oil tanker along with some small vehicles would be used in the terrorist strike. After security high alert law enforcement agencies kept their focus on oil tankers and big trucks and banned the entry in capital, they said.
The security officials ignored the smaller vehicles and terrorists took advantage of this security lapse and succeeded in causing biggest explosion of Pakistan history in Marriott Hotel. This was third explosion at Marriott Hotel as previous two were of low intensity.
The explosive-laden mini truck struck the reception of the Marriott Hotel, after a vehicle destroyed the barriers to give way to the truck. The death toll is feared to cross 100, as efforts are underway to bring out the people trapped in the hotel debris. The ambulances were rushing the injured to the hospitals till the filing of this report.
The blast, which occurred only a few hours after conclusion of President Zardari first address to the parliament, was described as the deadliest one in Pakistan history with more than five suicide bombers riding the mini truck loaded around 1,000 kilogram explosive struck the hotel as people inside were dinning just after the Iftar.
Suicide bombers seemed to have taken the advantage as the security officials might have lowered their guards for Iftar. The blast, which was termed as 9/11 of Pakistan by some analysts, caused a crater of over 25 feet leaving almost the entire hotel building on fire. There were some reports that no VVIP or VIP was present in the hotel.
The bang of the suicide explosion was so intense that it was heard in a radius of 32 kilometers and created panic and chaos in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The blast has completely wrecked the six-storey Marriott Hotel even of high security alert was issued in the Capital due to President's address to the Parliament.
The blast ruined more than 100 vehicles parked in the hotel parking area. The road in front of the hotel was giving a site a complete destruction as the blast damaged the vehicles and trees. The ambulances of all the hospitals, Edhi Foundation, Rescue 1122 and other organisations rushed to the scene for rescue operation.
Fire engines of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Army and Air Force were in the operation to extinguish the fire. The explosion caused damages to adjacent buildings of the hotel including multi-storey Evacuee Trust Building (ETB), Frontier and Balochistan Houses, as the rescuers recovered 5 dead bodies from ETB adjacent to the hotel. Dozens of drivers who were in vehicles outside the hotel were also injured in the incident.
The explosion and fire caused huge damage to hotel, feared to collapse at any time. Army Engineering Corps was called to take charge of the hotel to avert any more loss due to destruction of the Marriott Hotel. The inspector General of Police Islamabad, Raza Gardezi told reporters that a Shahzor truck was used in the suicide attack.
He confirmed the death of 40 people but said that the rescue operation was still going on and exact figure could not be given. He said that the Army bomb disposal squad was called which took charge and cordoned off the area for search and collect any evidences.
Sadruddin Hashwani, the owner of the Marriott Hotel, told reporters that more than 600 employees are working in one shift while there were more than 400 guests in different halls and rooms of the hotel at the time of the blast. He said that hotel has 310 rooms and 90 out of them were occupied by foreigners.
US embassy spokesman said there was no American diplomat in the hotel, while the mission is collecting the details about American citizens staying in the hotel. The Saudi envoy Saud Al Aseri said that 16 Saudi nationals were staying in the hotel. He said that four to six Saudis were still missing.
It was a very well planned suicide attack as the terrorists first neutralised the security guards of the hotel and police officials by resorting firing and gained passage for the explosive laden vehicle to detonate it inside the hotel compound, a security official told this scribe. He said that two vehicles were used as the first vehicle destroyed the barrier while another entered in the compound and detonated in front of the hotel reception.
Sultan Ahmed, a hotel employee working in Nadia Coffee Shop of the hotel told this scribe that he was in the kitchen when bomb exploded resulting and complete death and destruction. He said that the number of guests in coffee shop was very small but huge rush outside.
The emergency was declared in all the hospitals of Federal Capital of Islamabad and Rawalpindi following a deadliest suicide blast that fill the hospitals with 65 dead bodies and 182 injured.
As many as nine dead bodies and 70 injured were brought to the Federal Government Services Hospital (FGHS), a couple of miles away from the site of blast. About 20 injured were immediately shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) as most of the injured were in critical condition with some of them amputated.
Because of the shortage of beds the wounded were shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Shift International and Capital Development Authority (CDA) hospitals after giving firs aid. A chaos like situation was in and out side the hospital with administration rushing with stretchers to shift the injured from ambulances to the hospital.
The hospital ran short of blood for which administration appealed to the people overlooking the hospital wall inquiring about their dear ones. With ambulances still rushing to the hospital were diverted to PIMS and CDA Hospital as there was no more bed space to accommodate the injured in FGSH hospital.
About 30 dead bodies and 105 injured were brought to the PIMS where Hospital administration has arranged additional beds and established special OPD. Similarly, seven dead bodies and 17 injured were brought to the CDA hospital. All the hospitals' emergency and ICU have been filled up with critical injured while hospital administrations were making repeated calls for blood donation.
Meanwhile, well-placed official sources told the Business Recorder that there were intelligence reports of suicide attack in Federal Capital on the occasion of President Zardari's speech to joint session of the Parliament.
They said that the target was Parliament or Gate No 1 of the Prime Minister House. However, due to high security blanket around the red zone the terrorist could not translate their plan into reality. They said that the information was that an explosive laden oil tanker along with some small vehicles would be used in the terrorist strike. After security high alert law enforcement agencies kept their focus on oil tankers and big trucks and banned the entry in capital, they said.
The security officials ignored the smaller vehicles and terrorists took advantage of this security lapse and succeeded in causing biggest explosion of Pakistan history in Marriott Hotel. This was third explosion at Marriott Hotel as previous two were of low intensity.
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