Police say an attacker rammed a truck filled with explosives into a gate outside the heavily guarded Marriott Hotel at around 8 p.m. local time Saturday. Authorities say they expect the death toll to rise, with hundreds more people thought to be trapped inside the building.
Television reports showed much of the hotel on fire, and windows blown out. A huge crater was seen outside the hotel. Ambulances rushed to the scene, and debris was scattered on the street.
Pakistani officials say the blast was the largest ever to hit the capital, with witnesses hearing and feeling the explosion several kilometers away.
The Marriott is heavily fortified with security barriers and is frequented by foreigners.
No one has taken responsibility for the attack. But the head of Pakistan's Interior Ministry, Rehman Malik, Saturday said authorities had received intelligence that an attack might take place near parliament.
In Washington, the White House condemned the attack and said the United States will stand with Pakistan's democratically elected government as it confronts terrorism.
Saturday's blast came just hours after Pakistan's new president, Asif Ali Zardari, told parliament the country will continue its fight against terrorism and extremism.
In other violence, Pakistani military officials say at least five soldiers and three civilians were killed in two separate attacks in the country's northwest. Military officials say a suicide bomber attacked an army in North Waziristan. Another convoy hit a roadside bomb in South Waziristan.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters. Reported by VOA News
