BAGHDAD, Iraq, Aug. 29 - At least 67 people, including dozens of looters siphoning gasoline from a government pipeline, were killed in an explosion late Monday night after fuel vapor was accidentally ignited by a cigarette lighter, the Iraqi police and government officials said.
Despite Iraq's huge oil reserves, corruption, mismanagement and the lack of security have created a severe gasoline shortage that has sent prices to $3.20 per gallon and forced drivers to wait in gasoline lines for as long as 24 hours.
Lieutenant Rasheed said dozens of Diwaniya residents punctured the pipeline on Monday night.
"They were filling their jerrycans until one of the looters lit a lighter to smoke his cigarette, and that resulted in the explosion," he said.
Dr. Hussain al-Janabi, director of Diwaniya hospital, said several bodies had arrived charred or burned beyond recognition. He said by telephone that witnesses had said that the spark that ignited the blast came from a man who used a lighter to check if his can was full (my em).
Well, that'll teach him...
He would have known not to do that if they had Burma-Shave signs in Iraq. I actually remember this one from my youth aka The Dawn Of Time:
He lit a match
To check his tank.
Now they call him
Skinless Frank.
Burma-Shave.
No comments:
Post a Comment