42 die in Baghdad carnage

Up to 42 people are feared dead today after five large explosions ripped through the centre of Baghdad in the bloodiest day of terrorism since the end of Saddam Hussein's regime.

The blast blew down a 40ft section of the wall in front of the three-storey Red Cross building, destroying a dozen cars and shattering a water main. Emergency services fought to control the blaze as ambulances swept through the city, ferrying the injured to hospital. Witness Salah Mansour as he said: "When the driver reached near the Red Cross building he got down from the vehicle and a guard went up to ask him why he had stopped there.

"The driver said he was trying to fix the car and then the blast just went off."

In apparently co-ordinated attacks across the city at the height of the morning rush hour, four police stations were also targeted, bringing the total dead to at least 37. At least 225 other people were injured, 160 of them civilians. In north-east Baghdad, eight people died in a blast near a police station.

Witness Mohammed Ali said: "A car was speeding towards the police station. The guards fired on it. It turned right and blew up."

At another police station, investigator Ali Tahseen said: "Suddenly there was a loud explosion and glass flew across the room at me. I saw a group of policemen lying wounded."

An attack by a man shouting: "Death to the Iraqi police! You're collaborators!" was foiled before he could detonate his vehicle.

This afternoon there was reported to have been another blast but it was not known where or how many casualties there were.

The bombings came as the Muslim population observed the first day of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

US Brigadier General Mark Hertling said the attacks followed a pattern showing most terror strikes were being carried out on a Sunday or Monday.

"The terrorists will use the mosques as cover, going there to meet and discuss the event, spending Saturday planning it, and then on Sunday or Monday: 'spike'," he said.

A spokesman for Tony Blair said: "He condemns these evil attacks. The criminals responsible are deliberately targeting those organisations helping to build a free and stable Iraq. But that work will continue."

The Red Cross cut back its operations in Iraq after warnings that it could be targeted following the bombing of the United Nations compound in August, which killed 23. However-Sir Nicholas Young, chief executive of the British Red Cross, said today the agency would continue its work.

The blasts came just a day after rockets pounded the Al-Rashid hotel, killing a US soldier and wounding 17 other people. Deputy US Defence Secretary Paul Wolfowitz, who was staying at the hotel, escaped injury.

President Bush said the US had no intention of leaving Iraq despite the latest attacks.