6 Britons injured as 53 die in Pakistan truck bombing

Published on Monday 22 September 2008 10:18

SIX British citizens, including a child, have been injured in a deadly truck bombing which killed 53 people in the Pakistan capital Islamabad.

A truck laden with 600kg of high-grade explosives rammed the Marriott Hotel security gate before blowing up yesterday.

The blast killed the Czech ambassador, and rescue workers reported more than 250 injured.

Two of the wounded Britons remain in hospital for observation but the four others have all since been discharged with superficial injuries. Three of the wounded worked for the British High Commission.

CCTV footage of the moments before the blast showed a six-wheeler lorry ramming the security barrier at the hotel gate.

The explosion created a crater about 8m deep, and triggered a fire which engulfed the 290-room, five-storey building for hours.

No group has taken responsibility for the attack, but it was suggested it lay with al-Qaeda and Taleban militants.

The British Embassy in the city was functioning as normal today.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the bombing will only reinforce Britain's determination to combat terrorism in the country.