Baghdad: A powerful suicide car bomb tore off the front of a hotel occupied by a Government Minister and destroyed a police station in the centre of Baghdad early today (Jan 28, 2004), killing at least three people, police said.

The explosion hit the Shahine hotel, frequently used by foreign businessmen, in the city's upmarket Karrada district and a small police station across the street shortly after 6:30 hrs (9.00 hrs IST), punching out windows.

"There are at least three dead," said Lieutenant Ahmed Abdul Karim, shortly after the blast.

A large portion of the hotel is occupied by Iraq's Interim Minister for Labour Sami Azara al-Majun, according to security officials.

"The minister was praying when the blast happened, he is safe, the entire second floor was occupied by the minister and his security," said Uday Nuri, one of the minister's guards.

Lieutenant Hussein Ali, the chief of police patrols in Karrada, said the bomb was concealed inside an ambulance, which drove up to the hotel at high speed.