Three Constables Killed By Terrorist Bomb

Chronicle (Levin), 6 August 1947, Page 5

Three Constables Killed By Terrorist Bomb

(N.Z.P.A.-

-Reuter,

Copyright)

Received Wednesday, 10.30 a.m, JERUSALEM, Aug. 5. Three British constables were killed when a terrorist bomb damaged the Labour Department' Building today. The police were trying to remove the bomb when it explcded, biowing out the " front wall of the building in the Street of Prophets. Five minutes before the explosion, men purporting to be Irgun Zvai Leumi spokesmen telephoned the office of the newspapef Palestine Post, saying: "We have just planted bombs in the public Works Department." The blas't was tremendous. A column of smoke and dust rose from the area and ambulances and fire engines raced to the building. . Rescuers, braving the tottering walls, dug out one of three men reported to be buried rn the debris. The man, who was a British constable, was covered in dust and blood. An ambulance rushed him to hospital. An eye-witness said the rescued constable had lost a hand. Later the bodies of three British constables were recovered. The building was a two storey one and of stone. It was formerly the German Consulate. The mijiiary and police cordoned off the area and searched for the terrorists. When a telephone call warned of the mining, a watchman told people working in the building and they left. The police were called and were trying, to remove the bomb from the hallway when it exploded. Officials said there was a report that a bomb was also planted in the Public Works Department building a block down the street. A police report says that two armed Jews walked into the Health Building shortly before it was due to be closed. They warned the chief clerk that the building was mined and told him to get out. The clerk ran out and stopped a passing police patrol car. The police found the bomb and wfere attempting to drag it out when it exploded. The dusk to dawn curfew lifted earlier today has been reimposed.