This morning I took my camera and headed to the blast site. I saw the damaged theater, a large number of local police in addition to some crime scene investigators. The blast was extremely powerful, as evidenced by the damage to the adjacent buildings. My full updated report is here; the deceased has been confirmed as Briton Jonathan Adams.

Glass was all over the street across from the theater and some house windows were shattered. It was a nasty scene! A number of the neighborhood cars were also damaged. The residents I spoke with were still shaken by last night’s blast and couldn’t believe that this was happening in relatively quiet Doha. Officials are now indicating that the bomber was an Egyptian national named Omar Ahmed Abdullah (Click here for photo). The Egyptian embassy is investigating the claim.

Here are some pictures of the blast site and the damage it caused to adjacent buildings. All images enlarge on click.

A blast-damaged BMW

A BMW damaged by the blast and resultant shrapnel awaits a tow-away.

Vip stop

A senior security official (in white) checks in on the continuing investigation.

Site cleanup

A crane is moved in to remove the larger debris, as the site is excavated.

Blast damaged neighborhood home

Damage to the front of a neighbor’s home where numerous windows were broken.

Investigation continues

Security and forensics officials continue to comb through the blast debris.

Blast shrapnel

A neighbor displays shrapnel found in the street after the blast.

Update: Additional information on the blast, including claims of responsibility and details on the bomber and deceased have been determined. They are further expounded upon in a new post here.