At least 22 killed in Riyadh fuel truck blast: مقتل 22 شخصا واصابة 126 في انفجار صهريج غاز في الرياض

At least 22 killed in Riyadh fuel truck blast Thu, Nov 01 08:42 AM EDT 1 of 7 By Angus McDowall RIYADH (Reuters) - At least 22 people were killed when a fuel truck crashed into a flyover in the Saudi capital Riyadh on Thursday, triggering an explosion that brought down an industrial building and torched nearby vehicles, officials and state media said. Health ministry spokesman Saad al-Qahtani said 135 people were injured in the disaster. He told state television they were mostly men and included some foreigners. The civil defense department said a gas tanker had hit a bridge in eastern Riyadh, causing a gas leak and an explosion in a nearby heavy machinery and vehicles warehouse, according to the state news agency SPA. "The truck driver was surprised by a road accident on its route, causing it to crash into one of the pillars of the bridge," spokesman Captain Mohamed Hubail Hammadi said. Although the incident took place near the headquarters of the Saudi Arabian National Guard and the Prince Nayef Arab College for Security Sciences, officials speaking on state television said it was an accident. DRIVER BLAMED The civil defense chief, Saed al-Tweijri, said the fire had been brought under control. He blamed the tanker driver for the accident. The warehouse, several storeys high, was leveled by the blast, which also caused severe damage to other neighboring buildings. Rubble, twisted metal and shattered glass littered a wide stretch of the surrounding area. "I was inside the building when the blast came. Then boom, the building collapsed. Furniture, chairs and cabinets blasted into the room I was in," said survivor Kushnoo Akhtar, a 55-year-old Pakistani worker, who was covered in dirt and bleeding from multiple cuts on his face and hands. "My brother is still inside under the rubble. There are lots of people in there." The blast, which struck at around 7.20 a.m. local time, was on one of the capital's busiest roads but because Saudi Arabia is still observing the Eid al-Adha holiday, traffic was lighter than normal. An hour after the explosion, fires still raged in cars and trucks nearby and a column of black smoke billowed over the area. Dozens of burnt-out vehicles surrounded the scene of the blast, including a small bus and other cars on top of the flyover, which was left buckling after the incident. Television footage and pictures posted on social media showed a body lying by smoking vehicles and at least two charred bodies seated in a car. Another blackened corpse was visible in the remains of a truck. More than 100 emergency personnel were combing the wreckage on the flyover and searching for victims in the rubble of the building, which housed the operations of Zahid Tractor, a distributor of heavy machinery. (Reporting by Angus McDowall in Riyadh and Mirna Sleiman in Dubai,; Editing by Andrew Torchia and Mark Trevelyan) ========= مقتل 22 شخصا واصابة 126 في انفجار صهريج غاز في الرياض المحرر: OT الخميس 01 ت2 2012 13:32 GMT موقع الانفجار السومرية نيوز/بيروت اكد الدفاع المدني السعودي مقتل 22 شخصا واصابة 126 اخرين في انفجار صهريج غاز شرق الرياض صباح الخميس نتيجة حادث مروري خلف دمارا واسعا في الممتلكات والمركبات ايضا. واعلن مصدر في الدفاع المدني في تصريح صحافي ان "عدد وفيات انفجار شاحنة الغاز على طريق خريص صباح الخميس ارتفع الى 22 واصيب 126 اخرون بجروح". بدوره اوضح مدير عام الدفاع المدني الفريق سعد التويجري ان "ثلاثة اشخاص ما زالوا في عداد المفقودين"، لافتا في حديث لقناة الاخبارية الى "سوء تصرف سائق الشاحنة الذي يحمل جنسية دولة آسيوية". وتابع ان "الحريق الضخم نتيجة تسرب الغاز من الشاحنة امتد مسافة 300 متر من مكان اصطدامها بجسر تقاطع طريق خريص مع شارع الشيخ جابر" محذرا من "اصابات قد يتعرض لها حوالى 10 آلاف من المتجمهرين والمارة نتيجة تسرب الغاز الذي ماتزال آثاره قائمة" بحسب قوله. وقد اشارت حصيلة سابقة للدفاع المدني الى مقتل 15 شخصا على الاقل واصابة حوالى ستين في انفجار صهريج غاز. وكان الناطق باسم الدفاع المدني في الرياض محمد الحبيل الحمادي اكد في وقت سابق الخميس، ان "الانفجار حدث بعد ارتطام ناقلة غاز على طريق خريص شرق الرياض باحد الجسور الممتدة على الطريق اثر مصادفتها حادثا مروريا على خط سيرها ما ادى الى تسرب للغاز"، مضيفا في بيان ان "الغاز المتسرب انتشر خصوصا الى معرض مجاور للمعدات وللسيارات، وانفجر"، في اشارة الى شركة "الزاهد" المخصصة للمعدات والاليات الثقيلة والتي تمتد مبانيها ومستودعاتها على مساحة عشرين الف متر مربع، وتعرضت للتدمير. وذكر الحمادي ايضا ان "الحادث تسبب في حدوث اضرار كبيرة نتيجة الاحتراق والانفجار بفعل تشبع المكان بالغاز، كما تسبب ذلك في وقوع عدد من الحوادث المرورية بالموقع وسقوط عدد من الضحايا"، لم يحدد عددهم. يشار الى ان السلطات المعنية منعت المرور على الجسر الموصل الى طريق الدمام والذي تصدعت ركائزه بفعل قوة الانفجار والبالغ طوله نحو 3 كيلومترات وقررت اغلاقه الى اشعار اخر. يذكر ان المنطقة التي انفجر فيها الصهريج مصنفة صناعية وتجارية لكنها تضم بعض المباني السكنية وتعج في العادة بالسيارات والشاحنات والمارة. ============ Death toll rises to 39 in Venezuela refinery explosion (VIDEO, PHOTOS) Get short URL email story to a friendprint version Published: 25 August, 2012, 14:00 Edited: 26 August, 2012, 09:27 TAGS: Oil, Health, South America, Accident, Blast Image from Twitter/@MelMarcano, Video courtesy of youtube user Ray86shakedown (6.1Mb) embed video A large explosion has struck Venezuela’s largest oil refinery, killing 39 people and injuring more than 80. The blast did significant damage to the plant as well as nearby houses and is thought to have been caused by a gas leak. Among the dead include a 10-year-old boy, though 18 of the 39 who lost their lives were National Guard troops stationed at the refinery, Vice President Elias Jaua said after traveling to the afflicted area. He said authorities were working “to save the greatest number of lives.” At least 80 more were reported injured, nine of them seriously. Health Minister Eugenia Sader the other 77 had suffered light injuries and were released from hospital after receiving treatment. President Hugo Chavez declared there would be three days of mourning and gave his condolences to the victims' families. "This affects all of us," Chavez said while speaking on state television by phone. "It's very sad, very painful." He ordered a "deep" investigation to determine the cause of the blast. The explosion occurred at approximately 1:07am local time (6:07 GMT) on Saturday, producing a tremor that was felt in nearby communities, smashing windows and damaging buildings. Massive balls of fire were seen over the refinery, with black plumes of smoke filling the sky. "There was a gas leak," Energy Minister Rafael Ramirez told state TV. "A cloud of gas exploded … it was a significant explosion, there is significant damage to infrastructure and houses opposite the refinery." Local official Stella Lugo told Venezuelan state news that the situation was now under control. “There is no risk of another explosion. At the moment we are concentrating our efforts on helping the injured," said Lugo. Local authorities have restricted access to the refinery and the surrounding area in response to the blaze. Ivan Freites, secretary of the United Federation of Oil Workers told state news that at 12:30am local time (05:30 GMT) a propane-butane leak was reported at the plant. “The senior staff at the plant said they had used foam to control the leak and eliminate the risk of a fire,” said Freites. He added that the explosion could have been triggered by a problem with a gas valve that led to a pressure buildup. The Amuay refinery produces 955,000 barrels a day, making it one of the largest in the world. Despite the refineries economic importance, Venezuela‘s Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said the country’s current fuel supplies were sufficient to guarantee there would be no major disruption in meeting domestic needs or continuing exports despite the blast. Image from Twitter/@Anagabymakeup Image from Twitter/@malvapica Image from Twitter/@LaQuigua Image from Twitter/@StellaLugo ===========================