Pictures (they're pretty horrific):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/7627175.stm

A massive bomb blast has hit the Marriott Hotel in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, killing at least 40 people.

The hotel's owner said the explosion occurred when a lorry, which was being checked by security staff and sniffer dogs blew up at the hotel's entrance.

The blast created a 20ft (6m) deep crater, and destroyed the entire front section of the hotel.

President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the attack and vowed to "continue to fight terrorism and extremism".

In a statement, he said: "Such dastardly acts cannot dent the government's commitment to fight this menace."
   
Employees flee from the foyer of the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad

The explosion - a suspected suicide bombing - is thought to have been caused by more than a tonne of explosives and police are warning that the hotel could collapse.

The BBC's defence and security correspondent, Rob Watson, says that the attack bears the hallmarks of al-Qaeda, given the scale, the target and what would appear to be the careful political timing involved.

The attack came just hours after the newly elected President Zardari had given his first speech to MPs, vowing not to allow Pakistan's territory to be violated by terrorists or foreign powers fighting them.

Our correspondent says the attack is without doubt the most serious in the Pakistani capital to date and will spark fears about the country's stability in the face of a growing Islamist insurgency.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7627135.stm