Explosions in Egypt

Charles Paul Freund | July 22, 2005

The BBC is reporting that "A large explosion has struck the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, witnesses have reported."

BBC TV news has sketchy updates suggesting that there may have been multiple explosions in the old center of the resort city, and that some unconfirmed local reports attribute the explosions to car bombs. There may also have been bombs set in a nearby strip of luxury hotels outside the city. The death toll was put at 20 by an Egyptian stringer reporting by phone. [Update: French TV reports at 8 EDT set the death toll higher. A staffer for Radio France Internationale in Cairo attributed the explosions to suicide car bombs.]

Thirty-four people died in bombings in the area last year.