Bombed hotel may have to be razed

Another landmark of Peshawar was bombed yesterday, and it is difficult to say when the Pearl Continental Hotel will become functional again.

Another landmark of Peshawar was bombed yesterday, and it is difficult to say when the Pearl Continental Hotel will become functional again.

A huge suicide truck bomb ripped through the luxury hotel, killing 11 people, including a UN official, and wounding 70 in the capital of the North West Frontier Province, which has been plagued by Taliban violence (See box).

Earlier, the mausoleum of the great Pashto poet Rahman Baba had to be demolished after a bombing, as it could have collapsed. It is now being rebuilt.
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Devastated: Rescue teams work around the partially collapsed Pearl Continental hotel in Peshawar, Pakistan, yesterday, after the suicide attack.

The same fate could be awaiting Pearl Continental. Parts of the lone five-star hotel in Peshawar were destroyed by the devastating blast and the structure still standing may be declared dangerous. The final decision, however, would be made by engineers.

The attack

City police chief Sefwat Ghay-ur said, "The occupants of the truck forced their way in, firing at the security guards. The attackers struck their vehicle into the hotel building and it exploded on impact."

Added senior police official Shafqat Malik, "More than 500 kg of explosive material was used."

Chaos enveloped the hotel popular with dignitaries and foreigners, with fire billowing around the building. Rows of balconies were ripped off the face of the hotel.

Impact 5 km away

The blast was so huge that residents said windows shattered five km away and a deep crater was visible outside the hotel. About 53 cars were destroyed.

The injured were taken to the Lady Reading Hospital. "Seven of the injured are in a serious condition," said a doctor there.

Provincial police chief Malik Naveed said, "The toll is likely to rise."

Ignored warning

Meanwhile, it has emerged that Pakistan officials ignored a warning about the attack.

Last March, captured Afghan terrorist Hijrat Ullah had told authorities the Pearl Continental Hotel in Lahore was the group's next target.

Though no group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, the Taliban is being blamed for it.

Taliban violence

Pakistan has been hit by a string of devastating attacks in recent weeks, with markets and security targets hit in Peshawar, police buildings targeted in Islamabad and the cultural capital Lahore.

On Friday, a suicide bomb ripped through a mosque packed with worshippers, also in the northwest, killing 38 people and wounding dozens more.

The Taliban have warned of more "massive attacks" in retaliation for the military operations against them in Swat, Lower Dir and Buner. Pakistan claims to have killed more than 1,350 militants since the assault began on April 26.

Nearly 2,000 people have been killed in Taliban-linked attacks across Pakistan since July 2007.

11
The number of people (at the time of going to press) killed in the blast

70
The approximate number of those wounded

53
The number of cars destroyed