Lots of casualties reported. Partial collapse. It's at a resort hotel. Initial reports said gas explosion but it's becoming evident it was probably terrorism.
Update 5:30pm EDT: Reuters reporting 23 dead.
23 dead after large explosion at hotel on Israel/Egypt bdr
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Brent
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23 dead after large explosion at hotel on Israel/Egypt bdr
Last edited by Brent on Thu Oct 07, 2004 4:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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yoda
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,134806,00.html
CAIRO, Egypt — A strong explosion damaged the Hilton (search) hotel in Egypt's Taba (search) resort, only yards from the Israeli border, on Thursday night, witnesses said. Israeli medics said they had been informed of "a large number of casualties."
"The whole front of the hotel has collapsed," witness Yigal Vakni told Israel's Army Radio. "There are dozens of people on the floor, lots of blood, it is very tense."
"I am standing outside of the hotel, the whole thing is burning and they have nothing to put it out with," he added. "There is nothing here."
On Sept. 9, the Israeli government urged citizens not to visit Egypt (search), citing a "concrete" terror threat to tourists in an area.
The blast could be heard strongly a mile from the hotel, said Selma Abu el-Dahab, who works at another Taba hotel. She said a worker from her hotel returned from the Hilton and told of the explosion before collapsing.
Taba is the main crossing between Israel and Egypt and the gateway for thousands of Israelis who travel to the hotels and resorts on the Red Sea. Thursday is the last day of the weeklong Jewish festival of Sukkot (search), when thousands of Israelis vacation in the Sinai.
Vakni said most of the people at the Hilton were Israeli.
"I was in the casino when it happened," he said. "There was a massive explosion and the left wall came down. People started to run around like crazy."
On Sept. 9, the Israeli government urged citizens not to visit Egypt, citing a "concrete" terror threat to tourists in an area.
The warning, issued by the counter-terrorism center in the Prime Minister's office, identified Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, where Taba is located, as the target of a potential attack.
"Recently a concrete possibility has emerged that terrorists will try to attack tourist centers in Egypt, especially the Sinai," the Israeli Foreign Ministry (search) said in a statement published on its Web site.
CAIRO, Egypt — A strong explosion damaged the Hilton (search) hotel in Egypt's Taba (search) resort, only yards from the Israeli border, on Thursday night, witnesses said. Israeli medics said they had been informed of "a large number of casualties."
"The whole front of the hotel has collapsed," witness Yigal Vakni told Israel's Army Radio. "There are dozens of people on the floor, lots of blood, it is very tense."
"I am standing outside of the hotel, the whole thing is burning and they have nothing to put it out with," he added. "There is nothing here."
On Sept. 9, the Israeli government urged citizens not to visit Egypt (search), citing a "concrete" terror threat to tourists in an area.
The blast could be heard strongly a mile from the hotel, said Selma Abu el-Dahab, who works at another Taba hotel. She said a worker from her hotel returned from the Hilton and told of the explosion before collapsing.
Taba is the main crossing between Israel and Egypt and the gateway for thousands of Israelis who travel to the hotels and resorts on the Red Sea. Thursday is the last day of the weeklong Jewish festival of Sukkot (search), when thousands of Israelis vacation in the Sinai.
Vakni said most of the people at the Hilton were Israeli.
"I was in the casino when it happened," he said. "There was a massive explosion and the left wall came down. People started to run around like crazy."
On Sept. 9, the Israeli government urged citizens not to visit Egypt, citing a "concrete" terror threat to tourists in an area.
The warning, issued by the counter-terrorism center in the Prime Minister's office, identified Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, where Taba is located, as the target of a potential attack.
"Recently a concrete possibility has emerged that terrorists will try to attack tourist centers in Egypt, especially the Sinai," the Israeli Foreign Ministry (search) said in a statement published on its Web site.
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GalvestonDuck
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yoda
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The Egyptian security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the 10 p.m. explosion took place among gas tanks in the kitchen of the hotel, which is next to the casino where many tourists were at the time of the blast. They said they had no initial indications that the blast was a result of terrorism.
However, the Haaretz (search) newspaper in Israel said the blast took place in the lobby of the hotel, causing the ceiling to collapse, followed by a fire and the evacuation of guests on upper floors through the emergency exits. The newspaper quoted Israeli security sources as saying there is a growing conviction that the explosion was caused by a terrorist attack.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,134806,00.html
Bit of a difference here...
However, the Haaretz (search) newspaper in Israel said the blast took place in the lobby of the hotel, causing the ceiling to collapse, followed by a fire and the evacuation of guests on upper floors through the emergency exits. The newspaper quoted Israeli security sources as saying there is a growing conviction that the explosion was caused by a terrorist attack.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,134806,00.html
Bit of a difference here...
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yoda wrote:The Egyptian security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the 10 p.m. explosion took place among gas tanks in the kitchen of the hotel, which is next to the casino where many tourists were at the time of the blast. They said they had no initial indications that the blast was a result of terrorism.
However, the Haaretz (search) newspaper in Israel said the blast took place in the lobby of the hotel, causing the ceiling to collapse, followed by a fire and the evacuation of guests on upper floors through the emergency exits. The newspaper quoted Israeli security sources as saying there is a growing conviction that the explosion was caused by a terrorist attack.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,134806,00.html
Bit of a difference here...
Seems like Israeli reports are right, since there were two more blasts at resorts after the Hilton explosion.
I can't believe this is happening. I has worried about something like this when I was there in July, but thankfully nothing happened. The Egyptian people have worked so hard at protecting the tourists and soldiers there.
Last edited by nystate on Thu Oct 07, 2004 7:46 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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yoda
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Explosions rock 3 Egyptian hotels
23 reported dead in first blast on border with Israel
Updated: 5:51 p.m. ET Oct. 7, 2004CAIRO, Egypt - A strong explosion damaged the Hilton hotel in Egypt’s Taba resort, only yards from the Israeli border, on Thursday night, witnesses said. Egyptian security officials said there were “a large number of wounded,” and TV stations Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya reported that 23 had been killed, citing unnamed Egyptian security sources.
Two other blasts were reported in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula shortly after the Taba explosion, in the resort towns of Nueiba and Ras al-Sultan dozens of miles to the southwest. Few details were yet available from those sites.
Thousands of Israelis have been vacationing in the region over the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
There were conflicting reports on the cause of the Taba blast. Egyptian security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the explosion took place among gas tanks in the kitchen of the hotel, which is next to the casino where many tourists were at the time.
Israeli Radio stations said Israeli officials suspected the blast was the result of a militant attack, likely a car bomb.
Israeli ambulances that had been standing by at the border were treating dozens of casualties at the scene Israeli ambulance officials said.
“Magen David Adom ambulances are at the scene and report they are treating dozens of wounded,” an ambulance official said.
“The whole front of the hotel has collapsed,” witness Yigal Vakni told Israel’s Army Radio. “There are dozens of people on the floor, lots of blood, it is very tense.”
23 reported dead in first blast on border with Israel
Updated: 5:51 p.m. ET Oct. 7, 2004CAIRO, Egypt - A strong explosion damaged the Hilton hotel in Egypt’s Taba resort, only yards from the Israeli border, on Thursday night, witnesses said. Egyptian security officials said there were “a large number of wounded,” and TV stations Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya reported that 23 had been killed, citing unnamed Egyptian security sources.
Two other blasts were reported in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula shortly after the Taba explosion, in the resort towns of Nueiba and Ras al-Sultan dozens of miles to the southwest. Few details were yet available from those sites.
Thousands of Israelis have been vacationing in the region over the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
There were conflicting reports on the cause of the Taba blast. Egyptian security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the explosion took place among gas tanks in the kitchen of the hotel, which is next to the casino where many tourists were at the time.
Israeli Radio stations said Israeli officials suspected the blast was the result of a militant attack, likely a car bomb.
Israeli ambulances that had been standing by at the border were treating dozens of casualties at the scene Israeli ambulance officials said.
“Magen David Adom ambulances are at the scene and report they are treating dozens of wounded,” an ambulance official said.
“The whole front of the hotel has collapsed,” witness Yigal Vakni told Israel’s Army Radio. “There are dozens of people on the floor, lots of blood, it is very tense.”
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yoda
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CAIRO, Egypt — Explosions rocked three resort towns in Egypt near the Israeli border Thursday night, as a Jewish holiday was winding down. Security officials said that terrorists were behind at least one of the blasts and witnesses gave unconfirmed reports that all three explosions were caused by car bombs.
The first explosion shook the Hilton hotel in the Taba (search) resort, packed with vacationing Israelis, at around 10 p.m. An official at Taba Hospital in Egypt said at least 30 people were killed and 114 injured in explosions on the Sinai Peninsula (search), though there were conflicting reports of casualty counts.
Israeli medics said they had transferred 22 wounded people to hospitals, but there were believed to be many more. Witnesses said there were people trapped under the ruins of the western side of the hotel.
Two smaller blasts followed just hours later.
"I heard one very big explosion coming from Taba direction and then, after a while, I heard two smaller explosions from Nuweiba," near Ras al Shitan, human rights activist Abdel Raziq said by telephone.
The second explosion took place in Ras Hasatan (search), a tourist attraction popular among Israelis located about 15 miles south of Taba. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The third blast was reported in Nuweiba (search), another resort town on Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
Ambulances raced to the scene of the Taba blast.
"The whole front of the hotel has collapsed. There are dozens of people on the floor, lots of blood. It is very tense," witness Yigal Vakni told Israel's Army Radio. "I am standing outside of the hotel, the whole thing is burning and they have nothing to put it out with."
Witnesses said there were people trapped under the ruins of the western side of the hotel. A car rental manager at the Hilton, Mohammed Saleh, said a large part of the hotel was destroyed, and about three-quarters of it damaged.
Israeli security officials said there was increasing suspicion that the Taba blast had been caused by a truck laden with explosives, according to Haaretz news service.
Israel police told Haaretz that 30 people were killed in that explosion; a Taba Hospital source said about 100 had been injured, according to the news service.
Egyptian security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the 10 p.m. explosion took place among gas tanks in the kitchen of the hotel, which is next to the casino where many tourists were at the time of the blast. They said they had no initial indications that the blast was a result of terrorism.
However, the Haaretz (search) newspaper in Israel said the blast took place in the lobby of the hotel, causing the ceiling to collapse, followed by a fire and the evacuation of guests on upper floors through the emergency exits. The newspaper quoted Israeli security sources as saying there is a growing conviction that the explosion was caused by a terrorist attack.
From Fox News...
The first explosion shook the Hilton hotel in the Taba (search) resort, packed with vacationing Israelis, at around 10 p.m. An official at Taba Hospital in Egypt said at least 30 people were killed and 114 injured in explosions on the Sinai Peninsula (search), though there were conflicting reports of casualty counts.
Israeli medics said they had transferred 22 wounded people to hospitals, but there were believed to be many more. Witnesses said there were people trapped under the ruins of the western side of the hotel.
Two smaller blasts followed just hours later.
"I heard one very big explosion coming from Taba direction and then, after a while, I heard two smaller explosions from Nuweiba," near Ras al Shitan, human rights activist Abdel Raziq said by telephone.
The second explosion took place in Ras Hasatan (search), a tourist attraction popular among Israelis located about 15 miles south of Taba. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The third blast was reported in Nuweiba (search), another resort town on Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
Ambulances raced to the scene of the Taba blast.
"The whole front of the hotel has collapsed. There are dozens of people on the floor, lots of blood. It is very tense," witness Yigal Vakni told Israel's Army Radio. "I am standing outside of the hotel, the whole thing is burning and they have nothing to put it out with."
Witnesses said there were people trapped under the ruins of the western side of the hotel. A car rental manager at the Hilton, Mohammed Saleh, said a large part of the hotel was destroyed, and about three-quarters of it damaged.
Israeli security officials said there was increasing suspicion that the Taba blast had been caused by a truck laden with explosives, according to Haaretz news service.
Israel police told Haaretz that 30 people were killed in that explosion; a Taba Hospital source said about 100 had been injured, according to the news service.
Egyptian security officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the 10 p.m. explosion took place among gas tanks in the kitchen of the hotel, which is next to the casino where many tourists were at the time of the blast. They said they had no initial indications that the blast was a result of terrorism.
However, the Haaretz (search) newspaper in Israel said the blast took place in the lobby of the hotel, causing the ceiling to collapse, followed by a fire and the evacuation of guests on upper floors through the emergency exits. The newspaper quoted Israeli security sources as saying there is a growing conviction that the explosion was caused by a terrorist attack.
From Fox News...
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