Bomb blast kills 56, injures 100

AT LEAST 56 people were killed and more than 100 injured in a bomb attack in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, yesterday.

Police said the explosive device was hidden under vegetables on a motorised pushcart near a crowded market in the main Shi’ite district of Sadr City.

A local police officer said the blast was timed to maximise casualties by striking as many shoppers as possible, and shrapnel struck victims more than 548m away.

The attack came less than a week before the June 30 deadline for US troops to leave Iraqi cities.