Posted on 04/14/2002 6:09:55 AM PDT by Dallas
TUNIS, April 14 (Reuters) - The Tunisian government said on Sunday it had no new information suggesting a truck explosion that killed at least 17 people outside a synagogue on the southern resort isle of Djerba was a deliberate suicide attack.
The government was reacting to remarks made by German Interior Minister Otto Schily on Saturday. He said that based on the latest information both German and Tunisian governments had obtained, it appeared that Thursday's blast had been planned.
A total of three Germans died overnight of their injuries, raising the death toll from the explosion of a tanker filled with cooking gas outside North Africa's oldest synagogue site to 17.
Aside from two German adults who died from their injuries after arriving on special flights late on Saturday, an 18-month-old baby boy also died during the night between Saturday and Sunday, tour operator TUI said on Sunday.
The dead comprise 11 Germans, five Tunisians and a Frenchman. The truck driver was among the victims.
"At this stage of the investigation, nothing justifies other conclusions than the preliminary conclusions of the probe that it was an accidental explosion," a government source told Reuters.
There's nothing to see here folks, just move along.
(IsraelNN.com) Officials in the Tunisian resort island of Djerba report that death toll in last week’s incident has climbed to 16. German government officials report the so-called incident that took place on Thursday was a terrorist attack aimed at the ancient synagogue. Two tourists died of their injuries during the night bringing the death toll to 16.
Killed in the attack were 10 tourists from Germany, 1 from France and 5 from Tunisia. Local officials insist that the explosion of a gas truck near the ancient synagogue was an accident while German government officials are stating they have proof it was a terrorist attack against the synagogue.
German tourists reported that the truck driver of the gas truck parked by the synagogue and locked the vehicle, fleeing moments before the bomb went off. They reported the driver, who was clad in jeans, fled to the nearby homes and reports from local officials that he died in the blast are untrue.
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