Tankers explode in southern China; three slightly injured
BEIJING (AP) - An oil tanker exploded and another was heavily damaged in a blaze in southern China, officials and state media said Sunday.
The explosion, near an oil depot in Qingliu, a village in the southern province of Guangdong near Hong Kong, was completely extinguished at 6 p.m. Saturday, 18 hours after the blast took place, according to a duty officer at the Guangzhou provincial government office. He gave only his surname, Wang.
The cause of the blast was still under investigation.
He said three people were injured but were released from the hospital Sunday. He couldn't say how much water in the area had been polluted. More than 50 fire trucks, five firefighting boats and two helicopters assisted in putting out the fire, state media said.
The tanker was carrying more than 100 tons of oil when it exploded, state newspapers said. They said more than 400 tons of diesel oil ignited, and two tankers were heavily damaged.
The tankers belonged to Panlong Petrochemical Co., where staffers refused Sunday to comment. Various municipal government authorities in the area didn't answer their telephones Sunday.- AP
And of course the American media ruled out terrorism long before the flames were out, al la AA587 & TWA800, among other events. However, rest assured that if Beijing learns it was mu-slime terrorists, they won't worry about the feelings of Arabs when pay-back time comes. This is Hu Jintou's (sp?) first test as a new leader.