Deadly blast devastates Marrakesh cafe

Authorities suspect “criminal act” as explosion at tourist hangout in Moroccan city’s main Jamaa el-Fna square kills 14
 
Moroccco’s interior ministry said early evidence suggested the blast in the Argana cafe was a criminal act [Reuters]

An explosion in a busy cafe in the Moroccan city of Marrakesh has killed at least 14 people and wounded several others, local officials said.
Morocco’s interior ministry said on Thursday early evidence suggested the deadly blast in the heart of the country’s main tourist destination was a criminal act.
The interior ministry said foreigners were among the 14 people killed and 20 wounded in the blast that rocked Argana cafe in the city’s main Jamaa el-Fna square.
“Early evidence collected at the site (of the explosion) indicates that it was a criminal act,” the ministry said in the statement carried by the official MAP news agency.
Rescuers were dispatched to the scene and an investigation was opened to provide details on the blast.
The cafe is a popular spot with tourists and ranks 21 on the Lonely Planet’s online list of ‘things to do in Marrakesh’.
“One of the few cafes where you’ll compete with locals for elbow room and a spectacular view of the [Jamaa el-Fna] at sunset, when the restaurant stalls set up shop and the belly dancers begin to wriggle,” the travel guide writes.

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