1.
LS Scene of explosion, police car in front of building
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2.
MCS Front of building PAN DOWN TO people watching
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3.
CU Debris of explosion.
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MLS PAN EXT Building
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CS Damaged safe
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MS PAN INT Building
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CU People watching
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MCS Damage and PAN of shelves inside building
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MCS Broken doll
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CU Doll
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MLS Damage
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MLS Sound of explosion (EXT)
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Initials BB/1510 TA/BHH/BB/1520



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Rivalry within the Tel Aviv underworld was apparently responsible for a pre-down fire-bombing on Wednesday (15 September) in which a night club was destroyed, according to police.

Several adjoining shops and offices were damaged after an estimated 4 1/2 pounds (2 killogrammes) of explosives went off in the Pigalle Nightclub on the Tel Aviv seafront. Several people were hit by falling debris, but there were no reports of any serious casualties.

Police dismissed as "complete rubbish" Arab guerrilla claims from Beirut that Palestinian commandos were responsible for the incident. A number of similar establishments have been fire-bombed in Tel Aviv over the past month.

SYNOPSIS: Police in Tel Aviv said that the fire-bombing which destroyed the Pigalle Nightclub on Wednesday morning was a result of rivalry in the Tel Aviv underworld. They dismissed as "complete rubbish" Arab guerrilla claims from Beirut that Palestinian commandos were responsible for the incident.

Several people passing by were injured by falling debris, but there were no serious casualties. Shops and adjoining offices were damaged after an estimated four-and-a-half pounds of explosives went off in the seafront nightclub. A number of similar establishments have been fire-bombed over the past month.

The message from the Palestinian commandos in Beirut later in the day claimed that their agents had exploded a time bomb in the nightclub. A Fatah spokesman said that full details were not known but that the explosion had occurred as planned and that ambulances and police cars had been seen rushing to the scene. But Tel Aviv police were adamant that an underworld war between rival gangs had triggered the explosion.