EXPLOSIVES TAKEN IN LORRIES.

Chronicle (Levin), 23 February 1948, Page 5

EXPLOSIVES TAKEN IN LORRIES.

Reeeived Monday, 12.5 a.m. J BRUSALEM, February 22. The explosion blast is reparted to. have wreeked sjx bo.tels,, 50 restaurants, tvvo theatres, two ei.ue.roas, three apartment buildings and at Jeast a dozen-stores. Six other buildings in thc street are 011 ihe vergc oi' coll-npse. Fii'.st unof'fieial reports' reach ing the police Sfiid ahaut 15 are believed killed. A single shot rang out |ust before shops, hous.es and other buildings crumbled like a built-up paek oi' cards, killing people in theii* bcds in houses on thc iTinges of the mainly a.ffeeted area. Jewish reports claimed that three lorries dro.ve into the street. just before the explosion. ' Oue drovc off and the other two parked outside the hotels blew up. The wreekage of oue l.orry was found ip a big crater in the centre oi' Ben Yehuda Street. A wave oi' runiours that men in uniform were seen rnnning from the parked lorries, touehed off hysterical anti-P ritish demonsiratious with the erowds threatening Ihe poliec and soldiers who rushed to help. The demonstrations beeame so inten.se that the police and soldiers were withdrawn. Jews hegan runiung through the stmts with riftes, pis.tols and grenades, shoiitiug that the Briiish were to. bla'me. The R ritish police, in spite oi.' ihe crowds' rei'usal to- hebeve ihat Arabs were rcsp.oiisible, said Arabs obviousiy engineered the explosion. -