The Turn of the Danes

An apparent car bomb exploded outside the Danish embassy in Pakistan's capital Monday amid threats against Denmark over the reprinting of Prophet Muhammad cartoons in newspapers.

At least six people were killed and dozens were injured in the blast.

The blast echoed through Islamabad and left a crater more than three feet deep in the road in front of the embassy. Shattered glass, fallen masonry and dozens of wrecked vehicles littered the area. A plume of smoke rose above the scene as people, some bloodied, ran back and forth in a state of panic.

The explosion appeared to be a car bomb, police officer Muhammad Ashraf said. Someone parked a car in front of the embassy and it exploded at around 1 p.m, he said.

A perimeter wall of the embassy collapsed and its metal gate was blown inward, but the embassy building itself remained standing, though its windows were shattered.

Officials said at least six people -- including two policemen -- were killed and 35 people were wounded in the blast. The only foreign national reported hurt was a Brazilian woman working at the Danish Embassy. Her injuries were not serious, Brazil's Foreign Ministry said.