Up to 30 feared dead in suicide attack on Baghdad bus

A suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt in a Baghdad bus as it was about to depart for a Shiite city in the south today, killing up to 30 people and wounding dozens more.

Witnesses told police the attacker left a car and climbed onto the bus and blew himself up as the bus was about to leave for Nasiriyah, 200 miles south-east of Baghdad, said police Lt. Ali Mitaab.

The bus was gutted by flames. The attack occurred at the major bus station for vehicles headed to the mostly Shiite areas of the south.

There was confusion as to the exact number of dead. Police said 12 people had been killed while hospital officials said 19 had died. News reports suggested the death toll could be as high as 30.

Last August the station was the scene of a horrific triple car bombing which killed at least 43 people and wounded 89.

The latest attack occurred two days after two suicide bombers struck at the city’s police academy, killing 43 police and cadets.