US hotel attack: 2nd man dies

2003-04-08 14:49

Madrid - A second journalist has died after a US tank fired a shell at the Palestine Hotel in Baghdad on Tuesday morning.

The journalists were both cameramen.

Reuters said Taras Protsyuk, 35, from the Ukraine, died and another three of its journalists were injured.

Jose Couso, a cameraman with the Spanish television channel Telecinco, died later from his injuries.

Reuters has its offices on the 15th floor of the Palestine Hotel which houses most of the foreign media covering the Iraq war.

The 15th and 17th floors of the hotel were struck, blowing out windows as fierce exchanges raged on the 20th day of the US-led war. The 14th floor was also damaged.

The US said the tank had fired a single round at the hotel in response to incoming rifle and rocket fire.

A hole had been knocked into the hotel facade laying bare the metal structure of a column running past a balcony.

Dubai's Al-Arabiya television channel said its bureau on the 17th floor also suffered damage.

Sky's David Chater said he had seen the tank aiming at the hotel.

"I was standing on the balcony of our room looking at the city when there was a huge explosion and then shouts and screams from people along our corridor."

- AFX