Briton feared dead as blast rips through tourist café

The blast in Marrakech was a “criminal act” in which foreigners were among the dead or injured, the Moroccan government said.It happened in the Argana café in the city’s Djemaa el-Fna square, a Unesco world heritage site famed for snake charmers, musicians, story tellers and traders.

Moroccan authorities did not reveal where the dead were from, but the French newspaper Le Figaro claimed that a British man and two French nationals were among those killed.

“There are reports of several deaths and injuries,” a Foreign Office spokesman said. “Consular staff have been deployed and are urgently trying to establish whether any British nationals are involved.”

British witness Andy Birnie, who is on his honeymoon, said: “There was a huge bang, and lots of smoke went up. There was debris raining down from the sky.

“Hundreds of people were running in panic, some towards the cafe, some away from the square. The whole front of the cafe is blown away.”

Hugo Somersham-Jones, who lives near the square, said: “It sounded like a bomb. People had fire extinguishers, trying to put out the fire, and others were pulling people out from the building.”