Kabul terror for NZ engineer

By SCOTT MacLEOD

Mike Breckon had just ordered tandoori chicken when a mighty bomb blast sent evening diners sprawling in a shower of glass and smoke.

Mr Breckon, 54, had been in Afghanistan three days when the Taleban exploded a bomb 30m behind Kabul's fancy Intercontinental Hotel on Saturday.

At that instant, Mr Breckon became the latest New Zealander to be embroiled in the war on terror.

Last night he told the Herald he had been sitting by a window drinking sodas with two friends at 7.30pm when the lights went out - common for Kabul.

"Suddenly there was a huge explosion, white smoke and glass everywhere," Mr Breckon said.

One of his friends was blown off a chair and it was only thick curtains that stopped the diners from being cut to shreds.

Most of the other diners who were still at their tables were too shocked or surprised to move.

Mr Breckon thought the explosion was a rocket attack. He dived on to the floor and crawled through billowing smoke to the hotel's lobby. He suddenly realised he was not alone.

"One of the waiters had followed us out, and he said, 'You haven't paid for your meal'." Mr Breckon did not pay for the meal. Nor did he receive his chicken. "Later that evening we got some nibbles, but to be frank we weren't hungry at that point."

Mr Breckon and his colleagues radioed for vehicles, but were stopped from leaving by hotel managers on the "pretext" of safety. Mr Breckon suspected they were more worried about the hotel bill.

He spent a sleepless Saturday night in his damaged room before shifting to a guest house. Last night he was trying to arrange a flight out of Afghanistan to be with his wife in Auckland.

"We had a security meeting on Sunday morning and all non-essential staff will leave as soon as possible," he told the Herald . "We were meant to stay here until December 2."

The senior electrical engineer was in Kabul for the engineering and architectural firm Maunsell to lead a team in an Asian Development Bank project to improve power supplies.

In a report to Maunsell, Mr Breckon said security in Kabul was more tense than at any time during his eight earlier visits.

The United Nations had ordered there be no new missions until mid-January because of elections, attacks on westerners and the resurgence of the Taleban.

International Security Assistance Force troops reported no casualties in the blast, which destroyed a wall and smashed hundreds of windows.

The troops initially said the explosion was caused by a 122mm rocket, but a Taleban spokesman told AFP it was caused by explosives.

"I warn that soon there will be more similar attacks aimed at foreigners, God willing."