Morocco blast: 15 dead ‘including foreigners’
French newspaper reports say one Briton was among the 15 people killed in a massive explosion at a tourist cafe in the Jamaa el-Fna marketplace in Marrakesh.
(Picture courtesy of @OutcastDigital via Twitter)
Morroco’s interior ministry said the explosion appeared to have been caused by a criminal act.
15 people have been killed and a further 20 injured, according to officials. The website of France’s Le Figaro newspaper is reporting there was one Briton and two French among the victims. It says 11 of the 15 casualties were foreigners.
Eye witnesses in Marrakesh have described people being pulled from the scene of the explosion by rescue teams.
Matt Camp, who lives in London and is on a week’s holiday in the city, told Channel 4 News he had walked past Café Argana 60 seconds before the blast.
“There was a bang and we heard screaming and saw people running. We followed the crowd back and saw the top of Café Argana had been ripped off.
“There was blood on the ground – I’m not sure who from – and there was lots of yelling and screaming. Bodies were being lifted out of the rubble.”
Mr Camp said he had contemplated going into the café just before the blast: “I feel very lucky I didn’t stop there – it’s a lovely place to sit and look over the square.
There was blood on the ground and there was lots of yelling and screaming. Bodies were being lifted out of the rubble. Matt Camp, eye witness
“It’s a very popular tourist café – I’m sure there would have been western tourists in there.”
The British Foreign Office is still trying to gather whether any of the dead are UK citizens but have deployed consular staff to the scene to establish whether any nationals have been involved. It has set up a helpline for those concerned about family or friends involved in the incident: 020 008 5355.
A Reuters photographer who was at the scene of the blast also said he saw rescue workers pulling dismembered bodies from the scene. The square is usually thronged with tourists and vendors.
There was no immediate word on whether there were any foreigners among the dead or injured.
Morocco’s official MAP news agency said an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the explosion.