World : Car Bomb Kills 38, Injures 57

A car bomb exploded outside a hotel in the northeastern city of Trincomalee today, killing at least 38 people and injuring 57 in an attack military officials blamed on Tamil rebels.

Shortly after the blast, a group of angry Sinhalese attacked Tamil residents in the city with knives, killing one and injuring seven, military officials in Colombo said.

The explosion in the port city, 145 miles northeast of Colombo, occurred as more than 100 Sinhalese in a marketplace adjacent to the hotel hunted for gifts and sweets to celebrate the Sinhalese and Tamil New Year holidays.

The mid-morning blast flattened four neighboring shops, the military officials said. Sketchy reports reaching Colombo did not say whether the hotel was still standing or how large it was.