Baghdad bridge blown up in suicide bombing

BAGHDAD — A suicide truck bomb exploded on a major bridge in Baghdad early today, collapsing the steel structure and sending cars toppling into the Tigris River below, police and witnesses said.

At least 10 people were killed and 26 injured, according to hospital officials. That toll was expected to rise.

Police were trying to rescue as many as 20 people whose cars fell into the waters below.

Hours after the blast, waves lapped up against twisted girders sinking into the water as police patrol boats searched for survivors.

The Tigris River cuts Baghdad in half, and the al-Sarafiya bridge connected two northern Baghdad neighborhoods: Azamiyah, a mostly Sunni enclave, and Bab al-Muazam, a mixed area.

Police said the attack was by a suicide truck bomber, but Associated Press Television News footage showed the bridge broken apart in two places, perhaps the result of two blasts.

Police said the blast occurred just before the morning rush hour.

Some Iraqi security officials on the scene said the truck had been parked in the middle of the bridge before it exploded.

One police official said security forces had been suspicious about the truck and tried to block off roads leading to the bridge before the explosion.

Checkpoints are placed at the entrances to most of the many bridges that cross the Tigris in Baghdad.