http://www.guardian.co.uk/egypt/story/0,,1760781,00.html?gusrc=rss
Injured Aussies arrive in Cairo Rescuers carry an injured victim after three explosions shook the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Dahab. Rescuers carry an injured victim after three explosions shook the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Dahab. Photo: Reuters By Jano Gibson April 25, 2006 - 9:04PM Sydney Morning Herald Three nearly simultaneous bombings that hit an Egyptian beach resort popular with foreigners, killed at least 23 people and injured more than 60, including two Australian women, on streets filled with holidaymakers and Egyptians marking the beginning of the northern spring. The Australians, a 27-year-old from NSW and a 36-year-old from Melbourne, were in a Cairo private hospital in a stable condition. They were taken by helicopter to the hospital after being met by the Australian consul. "Consular officials in Canberra are in contact with both the injured women's families," the spokeswoman said. Officials are trying to contact a number of other Australians who were in the vicinity of the blasts. The bombers struck the Sinai seaside city of Dahab in the early evening yesterday along a crowded promenade of shops, restaurants and bars. Interior Minister Habib el-Adly said those killed included 20 Egyptians and three foreigners. Sixty-two people were wounded. Egyptian Interior Minister Habib el-Adly said those killed included 20 Egyptians and three foreigners. Sixty-two people were wounded. The Interior Ministry said the wounded included 42 Egyptians and 17 foreigners while police put the number of wounded at more than 150. The discrepancy could not be immediately be explained. Police said one Russian and one Swiss were among the dead; el-Adly would not confirm those nationalities. DFAT urges travellers to be careful The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has urged travellers to Egypt to exercise a high degree of caution and warned of other possible attacks at tourist areas and popular destinations such as Hurghada, Luxor, Aswan, Giza, Alexandria, Red Sea and Sinai resorts. Prime Minister John Howard condemned the blasts, saying the attack was a reminder of the huge challenge that terrorism posed. "It is plainly another inexcusable terrorist attack which deserves universal condemnation," he said. Mr Howard said Australian consular officials had contacted the three Australians affected in the attacks and their relatives in Australia had been informed. At least 23 killed in blasts The interior ministry said 20 Egyptians and three foreigners, including a German baby, were among the dead. Security officials earlier said a Swiss national and a Russian were among the victims of the near simultaneous bombings at the Red Sea resort of Dahab, the third such attack to hit resorts on the Sinai peninsula in 18 months. The interior ministry said the blasts ripped through the Ghazala supermarket and the Nelson and Aladdin restaurants in central Dahab, which lies on the south-east of the peninsula about 530km by road from Cairo. Tourists told of pandemonium in the streets after three bombs exploded within seconds of each other in the popular backpacking district, killing at least 23 people and injuring scores more. Sydney man Owen Norris told the Seven Network that he was sitting in a restaurant close to where the first of three bombs exploded in the beach resort town of Dahab. "There was a group of about 30 of us ... sitting in a restaurant on the waterfront and there was a mass sort of explosion two restaurants down from where we were sitting," Mr Norris told the network. "After a couple of seconds we sort of realised what had happened and we ran off away from the explosion. "As we were doing that there was a second and then a third explosion. "And then myself and another gentleman realised our partners weren't with us so we turned back ... and there were people running everywhere that had blood and cuts around their faces. "There were bodies on the ground. "It was pretty crazy for a while there. Liz Cush, of Sydney, told smh.com.au she was in Dahab on an Easter break from teaching English at a school in Cairo. The 27-year-old from Newtown was eating with friends in a restaurant when she heard a chain of "massive explosions''. "We were 150 metres away when the bombs went off at a restaurant just around the corner,'' she said. "There were three explosions - we could see everyone running, not even screaming. 'They were massive explosions' "They were massive explosions - I only heard two, I don't know why, but they came one after another, all very close together. "I didn't really know what was happening - I started to hide behind a chair. "I stayed in the restaurant for a couple of minutes and then we went out the back of the restaurant and then out the back of town in a desert area.'' She said she and her friends stayed out on the outskirts of Dahab for an hour before venturing back into town. "I went back and walked through town - there was blood on the ground and glass and rubble everywhere,'' she said. "Someone who works in a dive shop said police had arrested all the Egyptian people who worked there. "It's like in Sharm el-Sheikh - all the Egyptian people are being treated as suspects.'' "It's really quiet here now, it's empty - the locals are really shocked and the tourists are all on their hotels.'' Australian Steve Torokfalvy, said he administered first aid to victims after an explosion smashed windows and blew out doors in his hotel. "There was one guy who was in a really bad way, who when we turned him round, I saw half his face was missing, we just tried to comfort him until we could get more help," he said. "From the top of the hotel you could see body parts on the roofs of the shops ... It was horrible, it was really horrible. I was thinking of leaving but I don't want the terrorists to win," he added. Remote controlled bombs State television said the blasts appeared to have been the result of remote controlled bombs, not suicide bombers. "I saw people without heads, without legs, without nothing [taken] to the hospital," said Joseph Pouitou, a 24-year-old Israeli backpacker who was just 20 metres from the blast. "I was in Israel 24 years [and] I never saw a big bomb like this. I see 20 people die - bodies on the ground," Mr Pouitou told smh.com.au. "I never come back here [to Egypt] again. What I see here today, enough for me all my life. A lot of people get hurt, a lot of European people and Americans get hurt here. I saw a couple tourists die. All the people get panic and don't know what to do." Another backpacker, South African Stephen Murphy, was in his hotel room when he heard the explosions. "The first explosion went off and then maybe about five seconds later the second one and then about another two seconds later a third one went off," the 35-year-old from Johannesburg said. 'I knew it was very close' "I knew that it was very close and my eyes were closed throughout the explosion because it was really loud. It felt like it was right outside the door." He thought the bangs must have been exploding gas bottles at nearby restaurants but when he looked outside he could see tourists running away from two plumes of smoke. "There were people screaming and running away from the promenade which is where all the restaurants are. I just grabbed my bag, opened the door and I could see the two plumes of smoke from two of the explosions." "People were just screaming. There were people crying. Some people had blood stained on their clothes." "I was actually quite worried because it was just pandemonium. The Egyptians were screaming at each other as well and that just made people panic as well." He vowed to stay in Egypt as a protest against the terrorists. "I think terrorists want people to leave and I don't think I'm going to be going anywhere." One day after bin Laden tape No one immediately claimed credit for the attacks, which came one day after a new audiotape of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden surfaced accusing the "crusaders" of the West of waging war against Islam, referring to the conflict in Darfur and the isolation of the Hamas-led Palestinian government. Eurasia Group senior analyst Peter Khalil, a former counter-terrorism adviser to the Egyptian government, said it was possible to link the attack with the call to arms. "I think you can make some connection," Mr Khalil told ABC TV's 7.30 Report on Tuesday night. "There's been quite a concern, even within the Egyptian government regime there, that many of the Egyptians who went to Iraq to fight as foreign fighters are coming back to Egypt now. "This particular attack in Dahab has some of those handprints of al Qaeda-type planned operations." But Mr Khalil said Egypt was also creating its own problems. "The Egyptian regime has a lot of problems on the economic and social fronts," he said. "(There are) something like 600,000 new job seekers coming in the market per year. "There is a lot of frustration, there's a lot of anger, there's a lot of corruption in the regime and many of these young men tend towards extremism without any other option." Mr Khalil said there was evidence the current regime in Egypt was on its way out because of security threats, the political rise of the Muslim Brotherhood, concern over the future transfer of power and blunders such as the ferry disaster aftermath. Identifying victims Medical staff at Dahab hospital were in the process of identifying more of the victims before sending them to the nearest morgue in Sharm el-Sheikh at the tip of the Sinai. "There was blood everywhere but the victims were evacuated very quickly," said Cecile Casey, a young French tourist who was spending a few days in Dahab. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak pledged the perpetrators of the "wicked terrorist act" would be punished, while world leaders united in condemning the bombings, with US President George W Bush branding them a "heinous act". Israeli prime minister-designate Ehud Olmert also sent his condolences to Mubarak and his office said the two leaders discussed "the need for cooperation between the two countries in the fight against international terrorism". Resort packed for public holiday Dahab, which means gold in Arabic, is popular with western backpackers, budget Israeli tourists and was also packed with Egyptians enjoying a public holiday. It is renowned for its diving, snorkelling and windsurfing. The bombings struck on Sham el-Nessim, a traditional holiday which marks the beginning of spring, and a day before Sinai Liberation Day which celebrates Israel's withdrawal from the peninsula in 1982. - with David Braithwaite, Jordan Chong and agencies [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? 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