Palestinian ambassador injured in blast dies

The Palestinian ambassador to the Czech Republic, Jamal al Jamal, who was gravely injured in an explosion in his Prague residence on Wednesday, has died. The ambassador succumbed to his injuries several hours after being taken to Prague’s military hospital in an induced coma.

According to unconfirmed reports the ambassador was opening a safe when the explosion happened shortly before noon. His whole family was in the ambassadorial residence at the time, but no one else was hurt in the blast.

Police and explosives experts have been searching the two-storey residence and part of the neighbourhood remains closed to traffic. According to police spokeswoman Andrea Zoulova the detonation was caused by a so-far unidentified explosive mixture. Police president Martin Červíček told Czech Television there was no evidence so far pointing to a terrorist attack. One of the possibilities being considered is that the explosion may have been triggered by a security device in the safe containing a mechanism designed to destroy its contents in the event of the lock being tampered with.