BAGHDAD, Jan 1: The death toll from a powerful car bomb that tore apart a popular Baghdad restaurant packed with New Year's Eve revellers rose to at least eight on Thursday, as the capital was gripped by fear of more attacks.

The Nabil restaurant, in the upscale Karrada district, was virtually destroyed by Wednesday night's blast less than three hours before the clock ticked over to 2004. "I can confirm that eight people have been killed," a coalition spokesman said, without revealing the nationalities of the victims.

The Iraqi interior ministry earlier put the dead at five, all Iraqis, and the number of wounded at 24. The latter included three Los Angeles Times reporters and four staff members of the newspaper's Baghdad bureau, but their injuries were not life-threatening.

The attack occurred despite increased security measures over the Christmas and New Year holidays by both the US-led administration and Iraqi police. US troops had been on high alert eversince the capture of Saddam Hussein three weeks ago.

Iraqi businessmen and residents of the capital were predicting a grim 2004 following the bombing, despite optimism for long-term peace. A spokesman for the US-led troops said the blast was caused by van loaded with about 180 kilograms of explosives and artillery shells.-AFP