14 held in US Embassy bombing

The death toll in the twin bombings of the US embassies in Tanzania and Kenya has risen to 230, with 220 of them in Nairobi, including 12 Americans.

Rescue workers in Nairobi continued to search through the rubble for at least one survivor — bank employee Rose Wanjiku — but had lost contact with her, and hopes were fading that she might still be alive.

Kenyan President Daniel Arap Moi, who visited the city-centre site, said the damage exceeded 500 million dollars in a country where the government is virtually broke and is suffering from a suspension of aid, due to corruption, and the after-effects of severe flooding.

The blast damaged more than 40 buildings. The Kenyan capital remained nearlyparalysed yesterday with traffic jams, as wan insurance and tourism executives checked costs, and prospects.

Insurance executives said peoples’ lives were usually covered against terrorist attacks, but not buildings or loss of business.

“It was a tremendous impact that has affected all sectors of the country,” Moi said.

Meanwhile, security has been tightened at the United States Embassy in Malaysia after the State Department warned of a threat to US interests here following the bomb attacks in Kenya and Tanzania, officials said.

“Yes, (we have increased security). We have Malaysian police stationed around the building, ”James Warren, press attache, said.

The State Department warned of threats to US interests in Egypt and Yemen as well as Malaysia. “This could include attacks on buildings,” a statement issued last night said.

A State Department spokeswoman would not give details of the threats or say if they were in any way related to the twin bombings at US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania onFriday.

Warren said vehicles would not longer be able to park in front of the embassy in the heart of the city. “A number of our staff are working from home.”

Warren also said that US dependents in the country have been advised to be cautious and “to take more security measures”.

A Malaysian government official said, “We take a serious view of the threat as viewed by the US.” The official, however, said that it was improper for the US to publicly issue the statement.