SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (AFP) – Suicide car bombers unleashed a trail of carnage in Egypt’s tourist-packed Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh yesterday, killing at least 88 people, including nine foreigners.

The attacks at the peak of the tourist season were the deadliest targeting foreigners in Egypt, topping the 62 people, most of them holidaymakers, killed in Luxor eight years ago, and drew swift condemnation from across the globe.

Two suicide car bombs ripped through a luxury hotel and a busy market and a third explosion rocked a nearby car park shortly after 1:00 am (2200 GMT Friday), sending panicked tourists rushing out of bars and clubs on the glitzy Naama Bay strip.

In the most devastating of the strikes, a suicide bomber rammed his car through the security barrier and into the lobby of the luxury Ghazala Garden hotel, sending chunks of debris flying and killing at least 30 people, mostly Egyptian staff.

“The explosion was so strong that it shook the building I was in at the other end of the road, almost a kilometre (half-a-mile) away from the Ghazala,” said taxi driver Naguy Teema.

The sun rose to reveal scenes of devastation. Rubble, mangled car wrecks and broken glass littered the ground.

But hours later yesterday afternoon, bulldozers started tearing down the bombed-out hotel after rescue teams established no more bodies would be found.

Medics said 88 people had been killed and about 110 wounded. At least nine foreigners were among the dead and another 20 wounded.

The dead comprised two Britons, two Italians, one Ukrainian, one Russian, one Dutch citizen and an Israeli of Arab descent, they said.

The Czech Republic later reported one of its nationals had died.

Britain’s ambassador to Egypt Sir Derek Plumbly, who rushed to Sharm el-Sheikh after the blasts, told reporters: “I believe there could be a number of British dead. We’re unable to confirm at the time names or figures.”

The number of foreign casualties could yet rise as many bodies were burned beyond recognition and had yet to be identified.

Egyptians, many of whom were enjoying a seaside break on a national holiday, took the brunt of the casualties.

President Hosni Mubarak, who has played host to numerous world leaders on the Red Sea riviera resort, toured the devastated bomb scenes where anti-terrorist units were scouring for evidence. He also visited the wounded in Sharm el-Sheikh’s hospital.

“This cowardly and criminal act which is aimed at destabilising Egypt will reinforce our determination to press the battle against terror through to its eradication,” he told public television.

“We will press our battle against terror with all our strength and we will not give in to blackmail,” he said referring to bombings that have dealt a heavy blow to his country’s vital tourism industry.

Small groups of haggard tourists could be seen dragging their luggage among the debris to board buses leaving the resort.

A massive arrest campaign led by Egypt’s National Security forces was launched yesteray afternoon and was ongoing in the evening throughout the Sinai, security sources told AFP.

Among those nabbed were men recently released and previously arrested in connection with deadly bombings on October 7 that had left 34 people dead, including several Israelis, in and around Taba, in northern Sinai, they said.

Interior Minister Habib al-Adly said earlier that the attacks appeared to be connected with the Taba bombings.

Saturday’s attacks followed a new terror scare on London’s transport system on Friday after a series of bombings on July 7 also claimed by an Al-Qaeda group that killed 52 people plus four suicide bombers.

A group calling itself the Al-Qaeda Organisation in the Levant and Egypt said it carried out yesterday’s multiple bombings as a “response against the global evil powers which are spilling the blood of Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine, Chechnya”.

The authenticity of its Internet posting could not be verified.

Condemnation came from all four corners of the world with the White House denouncing “in the strongest possible terms” the “barbaric” Sinai bomb attacks. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan spoke of his “sorrow and anger”, While deploring the blasts, Iran pointed a finger at US counter-terrorism policy in the region.