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LONDON: At least 14 people were injured in a suspected gas explosion at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Central London where former president Asif Ali Zardari was staying on Friday night, reports said.
The blast took place shortly before midnight at the five-star Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill, in Portman Square, Marylebone.
According to a tweet by Geo’s reporter Murtaza Ali Shah, the former president was not inside the hotel at the time of the explosion.
The London Ambulance Service said five of the injured were taken to a hospital.
According to the London Fire Brigade, the explosion happened at about 23:40 GMT in the basement of the hotel, causing part of the building to collapse.
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Comments (35) Closed
Nov 22, 2014 10:37am
Wherever Zardari goes, trouble follows ... wonder why he's staying at a hotel - he owns several upscale properties in London.
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Nov 22, 2014 10:39am
What is he doing in London, plotting something?
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Nov 22, 2014 10:41am
Thank God he is safe. few!
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Nov 22, 2014 10:44am
most probably its an accident and PPP is giving a false impression that it was an attack on zardari.
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Nov 22, 2014 10:53am
Poor soul. Having a bumpy ride these days. Should have stayed at Nawaz Sharif's flat
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Nov 22, 2014 11:01am
@ahmed - yes, to face justice in Pakistan one day
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Nov 22, 2014 11:02am
@ahmed Safe from what? He was not even in the hotel. What most of us are saying that as long as he is away we all are safe.
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Nov 22, 2014 11:14am
Pakistani politicians are enjoying treats of 5 star hotels with begged money from USA, and the entire nation is starving in poverty. What a pity!
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Nov 22, 2014 11:23am
@Patriotic Pakistan, its government, parliament and judiciary is incapable of providing justice to its citizens.
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Nov 22, 2014 11:32am
Sind suffers and Mr 10% is living the life in london! Wake up you people.
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Nov 22, 2014 12:04pm
Now this is India..He spoke for Kashmir cause few days back and his son had a rally for Kasmiris right...So yes India must threaten them...No second opinion about it.
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Nov 22, 2014 12:17pm
The word on the street is that the Churchill Hotel has been bought by a Pakistani politician........and Pakistan is begging the IMF for loans.
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Nov 22, 2014 12:19pm
Zardar Evacuated ??? Doesnt that mean that he was in the Hotel at that time and was taken out when the fire broke out?
Then again who cares....
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Nov 22, 2014 02:06pm
@jahangir Khan : How i wish you had visited a doctor :(
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Nov 22, 2014 02:17pm
So what's the big deal, whether he was in the hotel or not, he survived again hasn't he?
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Nov 22, 2014 02:29pm
@Patriotic not only plotting but planting to dig more sources to accomplish his incomplete left over agenda after he stepped down to give turn to NS.
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Nov 22, 2014 02:29pm
@Parvez : Come on yaar..Churchil hotel was purchased by a politician, but how he will pay for the purchase? Siphoning some IMF loan is a good idea !!!
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Nov 22, 2014 03:01pm
Children are dying of starvation in Thar! and yet the Waderas are staying at luxury hotels with looted booty!
What a pity!
What a shame!
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Nov 22, 2014 03:08pm
@Dr in..I think ur a PTI supporter so yes if PPP calls for rally and PTI hoots against it...It feels they are supporting India..One foreigner said to me..These Indians should not do Hooting against Bilawal rally as this is indeed the right of Kashmiris..I said in an Apology that no these are our own Pakistanis fulfilling the agenda of India...So yes i can understand your feeling...How I wish you have visited the doctor for Eyes vision checkup as many have become blind and so 'Blind followers'..They can if called fight hand in hand with Taliban as Ik said it and so blind following has the attribute of following the same with seeing...
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Nov 22, 2014 04:59pm
Doesn't some Pakistani politician own Churchill hotel?
Pretty sure it's Zardari himself.
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Nov 22, 2014 05:17pm
5 star hotel and that too in Central London at the expense of public money of Sindh. Sindh is crying and Zardari enjoying!!! Wake up Sindh wake up
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Nov 22, 2014 05:17pm
@Patriotic you people are just blamers with no evidence
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Nov 22, 2014 05:46pm
@Ahmad my bank paid for me to stay there. it's actually one of the cheaper hotels in the good standard hotels. we have a corporate deal
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Nov 22, 2014 05:58pm
Bad news :(
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Nov 22, 2014 06:58pm
Raja Pervez Ashraf has a plush apartment nearby. I guess Zardari should have gone there. There is always a spare box room in these rambling properties for the unexpected visitor.
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Nov 22, 2014 07:31pm
Zardari-Benzir have several mansions in the UK including London (few years ago from outside I saw one such outskirts of London). Seems Zardari prefers to stay at 5* Hotels in the UK.
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Nov 22, 2014 07:44pm
@ahmed what a joke, I like your sense of humour
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Nov 22, 2014 10:14pm
I believe Churchill is owned by PIA.
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Nov 23, 2014 05:31am
@jahangir Khan Billi ko khwab mein bhi chichde nazar aate hain!
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Nov 23, 2014 03:35pm
Definitely an India origin plot to erode our excellent leadership. RAW must be at the bottom of it in collusion with Cameron's MI5 & MI6. Cameron never warmed to Zardari and Bhutto-Zardari. If the hotel is owned by one of our own non tax paying, living off government's expense account citizen(s), it is possible that the explosion/fire was caused deliberately so that the much needed renovation could be carried out from insurance pay out. We Pakistanis are not dumb like our Indian brothers, are we? We are smart. Our elites make the US, UK & other European nations pay and keep paying.
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Nov 23, 2014 05:20pm
@jahangir Khan speculation... any proof
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Nov 23, 2014 05:21pm
@AYZA ... trouble is not his middle name... it is corruption.
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Nov 23, 2014 05:24pm
@shoukat get the political mileage they need some these days
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Nov 24, 2014 06:41pm
Where are politicians who can ably lead the country and live in simplicity. Zardari, as many of our politicians, is neither able nor does he live in simplicity.
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Nov 25, 2014 02:28am
@AYZA He is a Businessman. He would have given his properties out for rent! and His visit would have been funded by 'Well wishers'
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