内容摘要："Last month, the agent informed us that my son's visa had been approved and asked for 1.8m rupees as payment," she said.

"Last month, the agent informed us that my son's visa had been approved and asked for 1.8m rupees as payment," she said.

The duo were having dinner with friends at the hotel restaurant at the time of the strike. The dining party included two US volunteers, two workers from a Ukrainian charity foundation, a young boy and his pregnant mother."We'd just put our stuff in our rooms and went to eat with our local Ukrainian contacts and the cell phone alarm went off so we ran to the shelter," said Mr Edwards.

Mr Swiacki added: "We took two steps and there was a big boom, absolute nightmare, everything just within seconds changed into a very apocalyptic news screams, alarms."Video sent by Mr Swiacki to the BBC showed smoke filling the restaurant with half-eaten meals and takeaway boxes on tables."There was so much stuff that we couldn't see where we were going," said Mr Swiacki.

Mr Edwards confirmed that the blast "took out all the windows" and they had to climb out of the restaurant through a broken window.The duo went back into the hotel to see if anyone else was hurt, and retrieve some of their belongings.

They also went outside to look for their vehicles, which were "full of aid" but were "all destroyed", Mr Edwards said.

Mr Swiacki's van, which he had parked outside the hotel, was "smashed completely to pieces".But what goes up can also come down. While gold has a reputation as a stable asset, it is not immune to price fluctuations. In fact, in the past, major surges in the price have been followed by significant falls.

So what is the risk this could happen again, leaving many of today's eager investors nursing big losses?Helped by its relative rarity, gold has been seen as an intrinsic store of value for centuries. The global supply is limited. Only around 216,265 tonnes have ever been mined, according to the World Gold Council, (the total is currently increasing by about 3,500 tonnes per year). This means that it is widely perceived as a "safe haven" asset that will retain its value.

As an investment, however, it has both advantages and disadvantages.Unlike shares, it will never pay a dividend. Unlike bonds, it will not provide a steady, predictable income, and its industrial applications are relatively limited.