Injured Kiwi close to Baghdad blast

A New Zealand soldier was closeby when a huge bomb exploded in Baghdad today, the Defence Force said.

Major Todd Hart was injured but his life was not in danger.

The blast ripped through the UN headquarters in Baghdad at 4.30pm on Tuesday (0030 NZ time Wednesday), killing at least 17 people and wounding dozens, witnesses and officials said.

A number of dead and wounded were still trapped under the rubble, US Captain James Jensen said from the scene.

The dead included Sergio Vieira de Mello, the head of mission and one of the world's most experienced diplomats.

Chief of the NZ Defence Force, Air Marshal Bruce Ferguson, told a media briefing the injuries sustained by Major Hart were yet to be confirmed.

He had one broken arm, and the other arm was also possibly broken and sustained cuts and was also in shock.

His injuries were not life threatening.

"He was in the building either at the (UN) briefing or very close to it, when the explosion happened," Air Marshal Ferguson.

Major Hart's offices were in front of the building, very close to where the explosions happened, Air Marshal Ferguson said.

Air Marshal Ferguson said he had spoken to Major Hart's wife Penny this morning.

He said she had already spoken to her husband.

"Part of the training we give our people is to memorise certain phone numbers to ring. He (Major Hart) recited a number to someone to please ring and that was how we were first contacted, just after the explosion," Air Marshal Ferguson said.

"He then borrowed a cellphone because his cellphone was lost in the blast and talked to his wife directly."

Major Hart's wife was ex-army herself and understood the risks, Air Marshal Ferguson said.

"She knows her husband was very keen to do the job...she's in good heart and I have offered any her any support from the New Zealand Defence Force."

Major Hart was now in Camp Victory, a US Army field hospital near Baghdad Airport. NZDF would continue to receive regular updates as to his condition, Air Marshal Ferguson said.

Whether Major Hart would be returning home would depend on the extent of his injuries -- both physical and psychological -- Air Marshal Ferguson said.

Major Hart, from 2 Land Force Group in Linton, near Palmerston North, left for Iraq in late May to join members of the United Nations Mine Action Service.

"It isn't going out to dig up mines, so much as advising on how to do this," Air Marshal Ferguson said.

"Of course, Iraq is a major challenge and a major danger for mines."

Next month 61 New Zealand defence personnel are scheduled to be deployed to Iraq. Air Marshal Ferguson said those plans were unaffected by today's explosion, which had served as a reminder of the dangers people in uniform faced.

"Iraq we classify as a high-risk area for obvious reasons. That's a risk that we accept, it's a risk all people in uniform accept. We know the risks, we try to ameliorate them as much as we can, but none the less the risk is there.

"We take all the precautions we can, but after that we're doing our job professionally and accept that these things do happen."

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark expressed her "very deep sorrow" at the death of Mr de Mello in the bombing.

"This is a terrible tragedy. I would like to express New Zealand's very deep sorrow at the killings."

She described Mr de Mello, whom she had met on a number of occasions, as one of the finest international civil servants.

"He impressed with his intelligence, professionalism, commitment to the task of making the troubled areas of the world in which he worked, better and safer places," she said.

"His death is a shocking loss and robs the United Nations of one of its finest workers."

Helen Clark said she was grateful Major Hart was alive.

"He is serving our country in a difficult environment and our best wishes go to him and his family at this difficult time."

Defence Minister Mark Burton said he was thankful Major Hart's injuries were not life threatening.

"Major Todd Hart was injured while doing an important job, working with the UN to help remove one of the greatest dangers faced by the Iraqi people," he said.

"No deployment to such a challenging environment is without risk. However, this horrific attack on the men and women working for the UN to bring humanitarian and reconstruction aid to post-war Iraq is shocking and tragic."

- NZPA

Herald Feature: Iraq