ISRAEL: TEL AVIV: BOMB BLAST: HOSPITAL

(28 Dec 2000) English/Nat

An explosion, presumed to be a bomb, went off on a bus on one of Tel Aviv's busiest thoroughfares on Thursday, injuring at least 11 people, police said.

The blast came hours after Israel and the Palestinians differed sharply over an American peace plan.

The explosion sent black smoke billowing into the air and people in the crowded area scattered in panic.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, although the explosion immediately raised suspicions of a terrorist attack.

Islamic militants opposed to the peace process have often staged bus bombings inside Israel.

The bus was bound from a station in the south of Tel Aviv to the northern suburb of Petah Tikva, police said.

A spokesman for the Ichilov Hospital said that five victims had been admitted, one suffering from serious injuries.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We have received five casualties so far. One of the casualties is a young girl suffering multiple burns. She is now on a mechanical ventilator and is undergoing extensive tests. We have one patient with hand burns and we have three other patients who have been only lightly injured. "
SUPER CAPTION: Doctor Halperin, Director of Emergency Department, Ichilov hospital
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"We received about five minutes notice of the arrival and we prepared very quickly. We are used to that and we have routine protocols for that so we have no problem in that respect."
SUPER CAPTION: Doctor Halperin, Director of Emergency Department, Ichilov hospital

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