Blast kills Palestinian diplomat in Prague
A Palestinian diplomat has been killed by an explosion at his home in the Czech capital Prague.
Advertisement
Jamal al-Jamal, the head of the Palestinian mission, had been taken to hospital after the explosion but died of his injuries some four hours later.
Palestinian officials said the blast happened when Mr Jamal was moving a case. Czech police say there is no evidence that it was a planned attack.
A 52-year-old woman was also taken to hospital suffering from shock.
The explosion happened at a two-storey property in the city's Suchdol district.
Palestinian mission spokesperson Nabil El-Fahel told Czech public radio Mr Jamal had been in the flat with his family at the time of the explosion.
Speaking from Ramallah in the West Bank, an unnamed Palestinian official told Reuters news agency the diplomat had only recently moved into the property.
A second Palestinian source told Reuters: "He moved an old case with him to the new house from the old house and when he opened it, the explosion happened."
The novinky.cz news site said the blast had probably been caused by "careless handling of a dangerous explosive".
According to the site, the blast occurred as the diplomat was opening a safe.
There are no visible signs of damage to the house from the street, according to a Reuters reporter at the scene.
The Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), which is recognised by the UN and Israel as representing the Palestinian people, has diplomats based in European and other capitals, and has a mission in Prague.
