5 killed, 138 poisoned in truck explosion in north of Baghdad

Five people were killed and up to 138 others wounded or poisoned when a truck carrying chemical gas cylinders detonated in Taji town, 30 km north of Baghdad, on Tuesday, a well-informed police source said.

"A truck carrying three 1.5 meters to 2 meters high cylinders filled with chlorine gas detonate in the Taji town, killing five people, wounding and poisoning 138 others," the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The blast took place in the morning at a busy area near the Al al-Bait Restaurant in the town, the source said,- Xinhuanet reported.

Ambulances rushed to the area to evacuate the wounded and poisoned people, he added.

The police is investigating the incident which they said apparently occurred accidentally, the source added.

At least five people have been killed and more than 100 injured when a chlorine gas tanker exploded north of Baghdad.

Many were hospitalised after inhaling the gas fumes released in the blast in Taji, about 20km from the capital.

Five more people were killed and 11 hurt when a car bomb blew up near a petrol station in southern Baghdad.

Police said they were investigating whether the tanker explosion was caused by a bomb or was an accident.

The explosion took place after the driver of the truck parked it in front of a Shia-owned restaurant on the main road from Baghdad to the north of Iraq


Chlorine gas, which is toxic and can irritate the respiratory system, is used for water purification.

Five more people were killed and at least 19 wounded in a second car bomb attack at the Al-Rasheed food market in western Baghdad, officials said.

The attacks come after two days of bombings and shootings which left more than 100 people dead and deflated early optimism over a security crackdown in Baghdad.

Tens of thousands of US and Iraqi troops have been deployed as part of a new plan aimed at bringing the country's sectarian violence under control,- AF informs.

The US military confirmed late on Monday that two soldiers had been killed in a "co-ordinated attack on a coalition force combat outpost" in Tarmiyah, about 30km north of Baghdad.