Massive suicide car bomb in Islamabad destroys the Islamabad Marriott hotel.

The blast, one of the worst acts of terrorism in Pakistan’s history, went off just a few hundred yards from the prime minister’s house, where all the leaders of government were dining after the president’s address to Parliament.

The toll was expected to grow because of reports that people had been trapped inside the six-story hotel, which has been a favorite meeting spot of both foreigners and well-connected Pakistanis in the heart of the capital. The building was quickly engulfed in flames and continued to burn for hours Saturday night.

The bomb left a vast crater, 40 feet wide and 25 feet deep, at the security barrier to the hotel.

Incredible pictures from the New York Times. H.F.S.

via the vertiginous chapati