AT LEAST 18 KILLED IN OKLAHOMA BOMBING

A huge bomb exploded in the Alfred Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City, demolishing nearly half of the 9-story building. A second, unexploded bomb was also found in the building. At least 18 people were killed, six of them children. Dozens were injured, including some infants in a day care center in the building. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms officials believe the explosion was caused by a powerful car bomb parked nearby, and say the bomb was as strong as the one used in theWorld Trade Center attack two years ago. The explosion occurred shortly after 9 a.m. and could be felt as far as 30 miles away. Debris was spread over a wide area of downtown. The explosion came on the second anniversary of the end of thefederal siege of the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas, though it is not yet known whether that fact is relevant. The Murrah building houses the offices of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and there has been speculation that the bombing might be in retaliation for what happened at Waco. Other speculation pegs the bomb to a group of Islamic fundamentalists in the city. No threat was made before the bomb went off. The people of Oklahoma City rallied to help victims of the bombing. Within an hour of the explosion, the lines to give blood stretched around the block, and hospitals around the city reported more donors than they could handle. CNN reports that the FBI has been worried recently aboutterrorist attackson federal buildings and has tightened security in federal buildings.