Blast in [Bogota] Colombia

MSNBC | 2/07/2003 | Email

[Mixer]

At least 9 dead

[Mixer]

An explosion at an executive club near the U.S. ambassodor's residence in the Columbian capital of Bogota killed at least nine and injured more then 100

[dighton]

Blast at Bogota Club Kills At Least 9

[MaxwellWolf]

That is Colombia NOT Columbia.

[Catspaw]

FARC?

[Mo1]

That doesn't sound good ..

I'm not seeing any news updates on the cable channels

[Mo1]

Blast at Bogota Club Kills At Least 9
30 minutes ago

By ANDREW SELSKY, Associated Press Writer

BOGOTA, Colombia - An explosion rocked an exclusive club in the Colombian capital Friday night, killing at least nine people, leaving more than 100 injured and setting the 10-story building afire.

The blast showered bricks and mortar onto a busy boulevard, denting and damaging cars that were passing by.

Police said nine people were known dead and 114 were injured, RCN radio and television reported.

Bogota Mayor Antanas Mockus said it was unknown whether the explosion in the El Nogal Club — frequented by politicians and business executives — was accidental or caused by a bomb. Leftist rebels have recently begun bringing their four-decade war from the countryside into the cities.

"It was a huge explosion. I thought an airplane had crashed outside," said Luis Moreno, who lives across the street from the 10-story club on Seventh Avenue in north Bogota. The explosion blew out walls of two stories of an interior parking garage, raining rubble onto the street below.

Jorge Velandia, who works at the club's mini-golf course, said the blast opened up a hole in one of the floors, and people tumbled through.

Paramedics were seen giving CPR to a man lying amid the rubble.

"We were having dinner when the bomb went off," a man, who did not give his name, said as his wife was carried away on a stretcher by paramedics.

Black smoke poured from the building, and flames licked out from upper windows. Media reports said that people were still trapped inside.

Catalina Ortiz told Radionet she was driving on in front of the club when she felt the explosion and thought her car had been hit.

"When I looked back I saw the club was on fire, with a ball of fire coming out of the third or fourth floor," she said. "While I was looking back, things began to fall out of the building."

Nearby buildings were also damaged in the explosion, authorities said.

[StopDemocratsDotCom]

and you won't, The American media ignores Latin America for the most part.

[TXnMA]

Oh -- Colombia -- the country...

Please get your public-school spelling straightened out; I thought this was new information on what caused the demise of our Space Shuttle -- Columbia.

[SamAdams76]

Evidently this is the kind of terrorist attack that the U.S. was worried about when they raised their terrorist alertness level to "Orange" today. I suspect that this might be part of a larger terrorist operation.

[Mixer]

Can we get a spell check on my title....thanks

[GirlShortstop]

The American media ignores Latin America for the most part.

That's why you gotta love Geraldo!   </heavy sarcasm OFF>

[ATOMIC_PUNK]

Are we like racing now to throw up a headline "At least 9 dead" thats informative sheesh.

[martin_fierro]

El Pingo.

[StopDemocratsDotCom]

[StopDemocratsDotCom]

The American media would rather cover Michael Jackson than the Cival War in Venezuela, the weekly terrorist attacks in Colombia, the economic depression in Argentina, ect..

[Mixer]

Are we like racing now to throw up a headline "At least 9 dead" thats informative sheesh

Far too many times I have put a thread up only to have someone else follow within 10 seconds. So now if I go for a breaking dtory I post the headline and a blurb and then right after I post additional comentary. You won't however see me post and then just leave it. The follow-up will always be right there after. This is to save others from starting dupe headlines. No harm intended sorry you found it to be that way.

[GirlShortstop]

The American media would rather cover Michael Jackson than the Cival War in Venezuela, the weekly terrorist attacks in Colombia, the economic depression..         Point well made and taken.   FReegards.

[concerned about politics]

FARC?

No swearing.

[blam]

"Evidently this is the kind of terrorist attack that the U.S. was worried about when they raised their terrorist alertness level to "Orange" today. I suspect that this might be part of a larger terrorist operation."

I expect the attack on Americans will be in a foreign country...like the Bali bombing. ...or, something in this country like a large gas pipeline.