Blast hits Marrakech

A MASSIVE explosion ripped through a cafe popular among foreign tourists in the Moroccan city of Marrakech today, Thursday April 28 killing 14 people and wounding 20 in what the government called a criminal act.

If confirmed as terrorism, the blast in the iconic Djemma el-Fna square would be Morocco's deadliest bombing in eight years. The last big attack was a series of suicide bombings in Morocco's commercial capital, Casablanca, in 2003 in which more than 45 people were killed.

The explosion just before noon tore the facade off the two-storey terracotta-coloured Argana cafe - from the pictures I believe I had an orange here during my trip. Panicked passersby dragged away bodies and tried to put out flames with fire extinguishers.

Moroccan government spokesman Khalid Naciri said that the 14 slain people came from a variety of countries but he did not say which ones.

Our thoughts are with the families of the victims.