Death toll from suicide bombing in Baghdad rises to 250

The death toll from a suicide bombing Sunday in Baghdad continues to rise, with the Iraqi government announcing Tuesday that at least 250 people were killed when a truck filled with explosives targeted a busy shopping area.

The attack is now the deadliest to take place in Iraq since 2003, the BBC reports. The bombing was in the Karrada district, a mostly Shia area, where families were shopping for Eid al-Fitr, the holiday at the end of the holy month of Ramadan. Buildings were engulfed in flames, and some of the bodies were charred so badly, they will have to undergo DNA testing for identification. Earlier, the government estimated the death toll was at 165.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the blast, and Iraq remains in an official state of mourning. The government has been criticized over the attack, and angry crowds yelled at Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi when he went to the site. Interior Minister Mohammed Ghabban called the security checkpoints in Baghdad "absolutely useless," AFP reports, and he submitted his resignation on Tuesday.

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