15 dead and 23 hurt after terrorist attack in Marrakech

AT LEAST 15 people were killed and another 23 injured in a massive explosion which ripped through a tourist cafe in the Moroccan city of Marrakech.

One Briton is thought to be among the ten foreign victims of the blast, which destroyed the Argana cafe, which overlooks the city's main Djemaa el-Fna square.

The apparent suicide attack, which bore the hallmark of Islamist militants, was the deadliest in Morocco for eight years. It comes in the wake of two months of protests against King Mohammed VI amid a tide of uprisings across the region.

The explosion just before noon yesterday tore the facade off the two-storey terracotta-coloured Argana cafe, leaving awnings dangling. Panicked passers-by dragged away bodies and tried to put out flames with fire extinguishers, witnesses said.

The square, a Unesco World Heritage site, is a focal point for western tourists who visit the city. Marrakech is an increasingly popular destination for Britons and the first direct Scottish flight - from Edinburgh - was launched last year by Ryanair.

First reports said the blast was believed to have been caused by gas, but within a short time Moroccan government officials described the explosion as an "organised criminal act". A statement from the Moroccan interior ministry said: "Analysis of the early evidence collected at the site of the blast confirms the theory of an attack."

The Foreign Office said it was investigating reports that a Briton may have been among the victims. It has advised UK nationals to stay away from the square.

A spokeswoman said: "There are reports of several deaths and injuries. Consular staff have been deployed and are urgently trying to establish whether any British nationals are involved."

One Briton, Hugo Somersham-Jones, said he was at his Marrakech home, close to the square, when he heard the explosion: "It sounded like a bomb. I went outside and saw smoke and got to the cafe and saw falling masonry. I came out to the main square and saw the first floor of the cafe in ruins. People had fire extinguishers, trying to put out the fire, and others were pulling people out from the building. It was pretty bad."

Portuguese tourist Alexandre Carvalho, 34, said: "I had just arrived at the square, the area where most cafes are located. Suddenly I heard this massive explosion. I turned around to see it had happened on the veranda of a cafe.

"There were at least ten injured people, lots of debris, things flying up in the air. I saw people in a panic running towards the area with fire extinguishers, some people being carried away. I believe the injured were mostly tourists, judging by what they were wearing."Morocco has been the target of several plots by the North African branch of al-Qaeda.