Morocco: Remote detonation apparent

Marrakech residents stand in front of the Argana cafe on Friday, one day after the explosions.NEW: Death toll is revised downward to 15NEW: Bomb is remotely detonated, interior minister said.NEW: French police are to help Moroccans in the investigation

Casablanca, Morocco (CNN) -- The bombing that ripped through a popular cafe in the Moroccan city of Marrakech apparently was set off at a distance, the state-run news agency said on Friday, citing the nation's interior minister.

Maghreb Arabe Presse quoted Taib Cherqaoui as saying that preliminary investigations show that the Thursday assault was conducted by people who remotely detonated the bomb. That development would rule out suspicions of a suicide mission.

"We will investigate this act of terrorism and find those responsible ... and their nationality," Cherqaoui told reporters about the attack. "We condemn it as a criminal act."

Also, a French police team has been sent to Morocco to assist authorities in their probe, the French Foreign Ministry said Friday.

Authorities revised the death toll from 16 to 15 in the strike, which also injured nearly two dozen people.

In an address on state-run television Thursday, Cherqaoui and King Mohamed VI said the fatalities included six French nationals, five Moroccans, and four others whose nationalities were not divulged. CNN has learned that two of those slain were Russian.

The incident occurred around 11 a.m. at Cafe Argana in Marrakech's old city, which is designated by the United Nations cultural arm as a World Heritage Site. Tourists flock to old city in high numbers this time of the year, and it is usually packed with stalls, story-tellers and snake-charmers.

World leaders moved quickly to condemn the incident. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was "appalled," according to a statement from his office. "He reiterates his firm rejection of the use of indiscriminate violence against innocent civilians and maintains that no political objective justifies or is served by such heinous acts."

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the United States "condemns in the strongest terms (Thursday's) terrorist attack," adding, "Acts of terrorism must not be tolerated wherever and whenever they occur."

And French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe condemned what he called a "barbarian terrorist attack, which nothing can justify."

Juppe said French authorities will provide assistance to French nationals in Marrakech.

A German tourist described a chaotic scene following the blasts.

"We were walking around the souks, right around the corner from Cafe Argana," said the tourist, who was about 50 meters from the blast when it occurred. "We heard a gigantic boom, and everyone immediately starting running towards the square to see what happened."

The woman, who didn't want her name used, told CNN the top floor and terrace of the cafe were "ripped apart" by the blast, which caused hundreds of people to run from the area.

CNN's Mitra Mobasherat and journalist Martin Jay contributed to this report

CNN Top Stories

This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Apparent tornado hits St. Louis airport

Tornado hits St. Louis airportSTORY HIGHLIGHTSNEW: The St. Louis mayor says the airport is closed indefinitely"The plane was rocking back and forth," one witness says CNN affiliate KSDK: The tornado ripped off part of a roof at one concoursePassengers are hit with flying glass and debris, KSDK says (CNN) -- Heavy winds from a severe storm caused significant damage, shattered windows and sent debris raining down on passengers at an airport in St. Louis Friday night.

The Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is closed indefinitely while officials investigate the damage, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay told reporters.

"There was a reported sighting of a tornado. Although that has not been confirmed, that storm caused significant damage to the airport," he said.

The reported tornado twisted metal and blew out plate-glass windows in the airport's main terminal, CNN affiliate KSDK reported.

Four people were transported to nearby hospitals with injuries, Slay said.

Passengers were hit with flying glass and debris as winds ripped off part of the roof in the airport's C concourse, the station reported.

One witness described a chaotic scene outside the terminal as officials evacuated passengers from at least one aircraft.

"The plane was rocking back and forth," said Brett Knewitz of Albuquerque, New Mexico, who was on a plane that was about to take off from the airport when the storm hit.

Initially officials did not allow evacuated passengers into the airport, he said, because of concerns that the building's roof would collapse.Once he was allowed inside, Knewitz said he saw an injured gate agent.

"She was bleeding like crazy," he said.

Concourse C is used by American Airlines, AirTran and Cape Air, airport spokesman Jeff Lea said.

The National Weather Service said witnesses believe a tornado was on the ground for several miles and observed the twister from a tower at the airport.

KSDK reported that the storm also blew the steeple off a church and forced authorities to close highways.

CNN's Marlena Baldacci, Taylor Ward and Greg Morrison contributed to this report.

View the Original article