A fuel truck filled with oil or gasoline exploded Friday night in western Baghdad and police said initial reports indicated at least 12 people may have died. A hospital source said 19 persons were injured, including two Sudanese guards from the Libyan Embassy located in the neighborhood. The hospital said many of the wounded had been burned.
The fuel truck may have contained explosives, the police official said, according to the CNN. The blast took place in the affluent al-Mansour neighborhood on a residential street close to the Libyan Embassy.
The official described the explosion as "huge" and reported extensive damage to houses and stores.
