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One dead in blast near Tel Aviv One dead in Israel 'crime' blast
(about 3 hours later)
At least one person has died in a explosion in a car in the Israeli town of Rishon Letzion south of Tel Aviv, Israeli rescue services said. One person died when a car blew up in a town south of Tel Aviv in an explosion blamed on criminal activity, Israeli police say.
Several people were injured in the blast, ambulance services said. Several people were injured in the blast at a main junction in Rishon Letzion, about 10 km (6 miles) south of Tel Aviv, ambulance services said.
There were conflicting reports about the cause of the explosion - a police source at the scene said it was "criminal" rather than "terrorist". Initial reports suggested a suicide attacker may have caused the blast, but police later blamed criminals.
But police sources on Israeli radio suspected a suicide bomber whose explosives had detonated prematurely. Cars at the junction and buildings as far as 200m (650ft) away were damaged.
It is several months since a deadly suicide attack took place in Israel. Increased security
"I can confirm an explosion took place in Rishon Letzion near a winery in the centre of the town. There are a number of casualties," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told the French news agency AFP. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP news agency the explosion took place near a winery in central Rishon Letzion, causing a number of casualties.
The explosion took place at a main intersection in Rishon Letzion, 10 km (6 miles) south of Tel Aviv, at a busy time shortly before the start of the Jewish Sabbath. Police closed the area and bomb experts were on the site, he said.
Cars at the junction and buildings as far as 200 metres away were damaged. The bomb was under the driver's seat and only the driver was killed in the attack, police at the scene told the Associated Press news agency.
It comes two days before the beginning of the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. The explosion occurred at a busy time shortly before the start of the Jewish Sabbath.
Israel usually tightens security ahead of Jewish holidays, which have in the past been the targets of attacks by Palestinian militants. Security has been stepped up for the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur on 1 October.
The most recent deadly suicide attack by Palestinian militants in Israel was in April this year.