Baghdad, Mar 17: A powerful blast has ripped through a small hotel and nearby houses in the centre of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, reportedly killing a number of people. A correspondent for Reuters news agency reported seeing bodies being pulled from the burning rubble of the Mount Lebanon Hotel in the Karrada district.
Frantic relatives gathered as rescue teams moved in and US military helicopters hovered above.
The hotel is thought to be used mainly by Iraqis and other Arabs.
The blast sent up a column of fire and a huge plume of smoke into the night sky.
Reuters reports that the explosion left a crater around seven metres (20 feet) across and 3.5 metres deep in the road outside the hotel.
Rescuers are searching for survivors possibly trapped under the rubble. Bureau Report