Islamabad Marriott Hotel bombing

Islamabad Marriott Hotel bombing
View of the hotel after the attack
Location	Islamabad, Pakistan
Coordinates	33°43′58″N 73°05′14″E / 33.7328°N 73.0871°E / 33.7328; 73.0871Coordinates: 33°43′58″N 73°05′14″E / 33.7328°N 73.0871°E / 33.7328; 73.0871
Date	20 September 2008 19:56. (UTC+05:00)
Attack type	Suicide truck bombing
Deaths	54
Non-fatal injuries	266

The Islamabad Marriott Hotel bombing occurred during the night of 20 September 2008, when a dump truck filled with explosives detonated in front of the Marriott Hotel in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, killing at least 54 people, injuring at least 266 and leaving a 60 ft (20 m) wide, 20 ft (6 m) deep crater outside the hotel. The majority of the casualties were Pakistanis; although at least five foreign nationals were killed and fifteen others reported injured. The attack occurred mere hours after President Asif Ali Zardari made his first speech to the Pakistani parliament. The Marriott hotel was the most prestigious hotel in the capital, located near government buildings, diplomatic missions, embassies and high commissions.

During the investigation, three suspected terrorists were arrested by the Pakistani police. They were suspected of having facilitated the suicide bomber. However later they were acquitted of all charges as no evidence was ever presented against them.

A few months after its bombing, the Government of Pakistan had re-constructed the hotel and the Islamabad Marriott reopened officially on 28 December 2008.

The hotel blast caused a severe natural gas leak that set the top floor of the five-story, 258-room hotel on fire, police said. The explosion was heard 15 kilometres away. The blaze that followed quickly engulfed the entire structure of the Marriott hotel. About two-thirds of the building caught fire as a result of the explosion after a natural gas pipe was blown open, and the reception area was completely destroyed.

The owner of the Marriott Hotel, Hashoo Group, owned by Sadruddin Hashwani, said the truck carrying the bomb had been stopped at the front barrier. "Some shots were fired. One of our guards fired back, and in the meantime the suicide bomber detonated all the explosives. All the guards on the gate died", said Hashwani.