Egypt on edge after blast

2005-04-08 13:57

Cairo - Security was tighter than ever around Egypt's main tourist sites on Friday, a day after a bomb in Cairo's old bazaar killed at least two foreigners and raised the spectre of a fresh wave of terrorist attacks.

The blast, apparently caused by a booby-trapped motorcycle, was the first attack against foreigners in the capital in more than seven years and came amid unprecedented upheaval on Egypt's political scene.

Egyptian Tourism Minister Ahmed al-Naghrabi said that a Frenchwoman had been killed.

US spokesperson Micaela Schweitzer-Bluhm said two Americans had been killed.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, but the authorities swiftly launched an investigation and tightened security around the country's main tourist attractions.

Vigilant

The US authorities warned their citizens to avoid tourist hubs in the capital pending further information on the nature of the explosion.

"While there is no independent information to suggest that this alleged attack was a part of a larger effort, all residents of and visitors to Egypt should be especially vigilant and avoid areas of Cairo where large numbers of tourists congregate," a US embassy statement said.

The Egyptian authorities attempted to play down the blast.

"According to preliminary information, it was an individual operation, its perpetrator having used a homemade device consisting of powder and nails," said government spokesperson Magdi Radi.

The blast struck one of the main alleyways in the famed Khan al-Khalili bazaar, which lies in the heart of ancient Islamic Cairo and is very popular with souvenir-hunting tourists.

"I saw a man burning, his galabeya (traditional dress) was on fire, his back was badly burnt as he lay on the ground," an eyewitness told a reporter on the scene shortly after the blast.

The explosion plunged the entire district into darkness and the usually bustling streets of the famed bazaar were soon deserted, as tourists fled the area and shopowners hastily shut down their stalls.

On Friday, tourists were scarce in the Khan Khalili area and security heavily deployed around the nearby Al-Azhar mosque.

"Our immediate concern is to take the appropriate measures and help those who have been affected by the explosion, but we should not be intimidated," Maghrabi said.

He stressed that the rest of the French group which sustained casualties in the explosion had continued its tour with a visit to the Saqqara pyramids just outside Cairo and was due to travel to Upper Egypt later Friday.

"There is no indication for the moment that people are cancelling their trips to Egypt," the tourism minister added.

Egypt is a hugely popular destination for tourists owing to its Pharaonic monuments, Nile cruises and Red Sea coast which have been rocked by major attacks against foreign targets in recent years.

The Egyptian economy is heavily dependent on tourism and has been severely hit by previous attacks. - AP/AFP

- News24