The Continuity IRA has admitted responsibility for planting an incendiary-style device at a Belfast police station.
Around 100 families were evacuated from their homes for several hours while British army bomb disposal experts dealt with the device which was driven to Castleton Avenue beside York Road police station last night.
Chief Inspector Colin Taylor, of the Police Service of Northern Ireland's North Belfast District Command Unit, claimed it could have killed.
"It could have caused a large firebomb, killing or seriously injuring anyone in the vicinity," he said.
"Certainly it would have caused serious damage to property. It was a totallyindiscriminate and reckless act."
A controlled explosion was carried out on a red Vauxhall Cavalier carcontaining the device, damaging windows in nearby homes and a church.
The bomb consisted of a 30lb gas cylinder with a timerattached.
Several elderly people had to be evacuated from their homes by wheelchair,with police and ambulance workers ferrying them out from the area.
Chief Inspector Taylor praised the work of the emergency services and hisofficers.
"It was total madness. This is a large residential area with a lot of elderlypeople," he said.
"If it had not been for the prompt work of the police and emergency servicesit could have been carnage."
Army technical officers also carried out a controlled explosion on a suspicious package at Larne High School today. Students were evacuated during the security alert which was later declared to be a hoax.