MOROCCO: Explosion kills 14 at cafe frequented by tourists

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An explosion Thursday at a cafe frequented by tourists in Morocco killed at least 14 people and injured 20 people, the North African nation’s official news agency reported.

Preliminary results of the investigation into the explosion at the Cafe Argana in Marrakech, a major tourist destination, show that it was a ‘criminal act,’ said a statement by the Interior Ministry cited by the official MAP news agency.

Amateur video footage of the aftermath of the blast (above) showed the cafe’s elegant facade crumpled by the impact of the blast. An emergency vehicle stands nearby.

A photojournalist employed by Reuters described rescue workers removing mangled bodies from the wreckage, according to the news agency.

There was no word on the identity of the victims at the cafe, described by Lonely Planet as one of the places in Marrakech where locals and foreigners mingle.

-- Borzou Daragahi in Beirut

Video: The aftermath of a bombing in Marrakech on Thursday. Credit: YouTube