In pictures: Baghdad car bomb

1 of 9 A bomb went off outside the gates to the main US headquarters on Sunday - an ordinary working day in Baghdad which was already blanketed in dense morning fog.

2 of 9 The site, the entrance to one of Saddam Hussein's former palaces, is one of the most heavily fortified places in the Iraqi capital.

3 of 9 A survivor breaks down - Iraqis queuing to enter the HQ on business or seeking work bore the brunt of the blast.

4 of 9 American troops sealed off the area, and bridges across the nearby river Tigris were closed.

5 of 9 Several vehicles were set on fire in the blast, and some eyewitnesses spoke of a huge fireball.

6 of 9 The injured walked around in shock as ambulances and fire engines arrived at the scene.

7 of 9 Soldiers and civilians took wounded Iraqis away for treatment.

8 of 9 The bombers struck just as the coalition was saying there had been a drop in violence since Saddam Hussein was captured.

9 of 9 The incident is the bloodiest in Baghdad since a string of bombs killed more than 30 at the end of October.