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Fuel Truck Explosion Kills at Least 230 in DRC

   VOA News 04 July 2010
   An  inhabitant  of  the  town  of Sange, eastern Congo, walks past the
   burned out wreckage of a tanker truck Saturday, July 3, 2010, that was
   involved in a accident Friday night

Photo: AP

   An  inhabitant  of  the  town  of Sange, eastern Congo, walks past the
   burned out wreckage of a tanker truck Saturday, July 3, 2010, that was
   involved in a accident Friday night

   Officials  in the Democratic Republic of Congo say at least 230 people
   died following a fuel truck explosion in the east of the country.
   Red Cross, U.N. and local officials say about 200 others were injured,
   many  seriously,  after  a  tanker truck overturned late Friday in the
   remote village of Sange (in South Kivu province) near the DRC's border
   with Burundi. Â
   U.N. and other officials say people were trying to gather leaking fuel
   from the overturned truck when it exploded, spreading flames to nearby
   homes and roadside cinemas. Â
   Officials  say  many people in the town had gathered at the cinemas to
   watch the World Cup football (soccer) matches when the fire broke out.
   The  Red  Cross  says  at least 61 children and 36 women are among the
   dead.
   Officials have yet to confirm what caused the truck to overturn, or to
   say why it exploded.  Â
   The  driver  of  the  truck was injured in the accident but managed to
   escape before the vehicle blew up.
   U.N. helicopters flew victims of the accident to nearby hospitals.

   Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

   Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

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