Syrian-born filmmaker Akkad dies from injuries suffered in bombing

Mustafa Akkad, the Syrian-born filmmaker of the Halloween horror series, died yesterday from wounds sustained in the triple hotel bombings in Jordan. He was 75.

Akkad, who lived in Los Angeles, died at 7.30am in a Jordanian hospital where he was being treated, said Dr Yousuf Qisous in Amman.

"He had bleeding in the lungs, his ribs were fractured and he died of his wounds and a severe heart attack this morning," Dr Qisous said.

Akkad's sister, Leila, confirmed her brother's death in a telephone interview from Damascus.

His daughter, Rima Akkad Monla, 34, also died in one of the explosions that rocked three hotels in Amman on Wednesday night, according to her mother and Akkad's ex-wife, Patricia Akkad.

Akkad, best known for producing all eight films in the Halloween franchise, also produced and directed The Message (1977) and Lion of the Desert (1981).

Both starred Anthony Quinn.

Born in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo in July 1930, Akkad gained fame as a creative movie director and producer in the Arab world and in the West.

After finishing his secondary studies in Syria, Akkad left for America in 1950, according to his sister, Leila. He studied movie direction and production at California University and worked in the United States.

Akkad was the eldest member in a family of six boys and a girl.

With the death of his daughter, Rima, Akkad is survived by three sons, Tarek, Malek and Zeido.