Deadly Blast Rocks Central Beirut

A bomb targeting the motorcade of Lebanon's most prominent politician killed at least nine people on Monday along this city's famed seafront boulevard. The fate of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri remained unclear: the official news agency said he was in serious condition but two TV stations reported he was dead.

The front of the famous St. George Hotel was devastated in the blast, with several balconies blown off. Along the famed Mediterranean corniche, at least 20 cars were in flames or destroyed, and the fronts of several other bulidings were heavily damaged, including a British bank and the landmark Phoenicia Hotel.

"This appears to be a very powerful car bomb that affected at least two city blocks in their entirety," CBS Newsman Edward Yeranian reports. "Glass was broken in windows from skyscrapers about a mile away from the explosion."

Explosions in Beirut — while common during the 1975-90 civil war — have become unusual since the conflict ended.

"Explosions have been fairly rare in Beirut over the last several years," said Yeranian. "There was a Lebanese politician that was targeted about 3 months ago, but there were very few victims, and it was a very limited area that was affected."

Hariri is a self-made billionaire who has led Lebanon for most of the period since the 1975-1990 civil war ended. Since leaving office in October, he has been considered in the opposition. He has been in a rivalry with pro-Syrian President Emile Lahoud for years.

Witnesses at the scene confirmed that Hariri's motorcade had just passed the area shortly before the bomb went off.

TV footage showed dramatic scenes of one burning man struggling to get out of a car window, then falling on the ground. He was helped by a bystander who used his jacket to put out the flames, but it was not clear if he survived.

Several young women were seen with blood running down their faces. Some had to be helped from the scene.

Heavily armed security forces cordoned off the area with yellow tape as rescue workers and investigators combed the scene apparently looking for casualties or clues to what caused the huge explosion.

The explosion near the city's waterfront shortly before noon shook buildings in the city center and was heard in outlying hills overlooking the Lebanese capital.

Rubble and twisted debris covered a road lined with burning cars, the smoke from which enveloping the area as firefighters carrying houses raced to douse flames.