Varegg
Support fanatic :-)
+2,206|6780|Nårvei

Many feared dead in Albania army base blast 15 Mar 2008 14:10:49 GMT
Source: Reuters

TIRANA, March 15 (Reuters) - Some 63 people working near the site of a major explosion at an Albanian army base may have been killed or seriously injured by the blast, Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha's spokeswoman said on Saturday.

"We do not know the exact number," Juela Mecani told Reuters, "but we fear the worst for the three teams, each of 21 people, working there at the time. Several were U.S. citizens."

The U.S. embassy in Tirana told Reuters it could not confirm the presence of U.S. military personnel at the site, on the outskirts of the capital Tirana.

Berisha said earlier that a number of explosions took place, probably while the teams were dismantling ammunition.

Wounded people were being taken to nearby hospitals. Local media reports said most had suffered burns, concussion, broken limbs, or were hurt by flying glass and shrapnel.

"Terrified people are leaving the area on foot along the highway, women and children," said a Reuters cameraman at the scene. "Cars with broken windows have been abandoned on the highway."

The explosions were so powerful they were felt in Tirana and the seaside resort of Durres, some 20 km (12 miles) away. Arlinda Causholli, a spokeswoman for Tirana Airport, said windows and glass doors were shattered at the airport, several kilometres from the base.

"We evacuated passengers from the affected area and suspended flights for around 30 minutes," Causholli told Reuters. Flights have since resumed. (Reporting by Benet Koleka, writing by Ellie Tzortzi; editing by Tim Pearce)
Wait behind the line ..............................................................
ATG
Banned
+5,233|6499|Global Command
Attack or accident?
^*AlphA*^
F*ckers
+3,135|6708|The Hague, Netherlands

ATG wrote:

Attack or accident?
"Mr Berisha - who visited some of the injured in hospital - said he could not rule out human error as the cause of the explosions, but added that the ammunition could have exploded spontaneously because of its age."
https://bf3s.com/sigs/36eac2cb6af70a43508fd8d1c93d3201f4e23435.png
ATG
Banned
+5,233|6499|Global Command

^*AlphA*^ wrote:

ATG wrote:

Attack or accident?
"Mr Berisha - who visited some of the injured in hospital - said he could not rule out human error as the cause of the explosions, but added that the ammunition could have exploded spontaneously because of its age."
I'm thinking that this was likely an accident. There is the press, that hopes this may be the flash of fire in front of the spigot of the powder keg that is the Balkans. As if there isn't enough news to cover.
HurricaИe
Banned
+877|5931|Washington DC

ATG wrote:

^*AlphA*^ wrote:

ATG wrote:

Attack or accident?
"Mr Berisha - who visited some of the injured in hospital - said he could not rule out human error as the cause of the explosions, but added that the ammunition could have exploded spontaneously because of its age."
I'm thinking that this was likely an accident. There is the press, that hopes this may be the flash of fire in front of the spigot of the powder keg that is the Balkans. As if there isn't enough news to cover.
Archduke Ferdinand: Reloaded?
ATG
Banned
+5,233|6499|Global Command

HurricaИe wrote:

ATG wrote:

^*AlphA*^ wrote:


"Mr Berisha - who visited some of the injured in hospital - said he could not rule out human error as the cause of the explosions, but added that the ammunition could have exploded spontaneously because of its age."
I'm thinking that this was likely an accident. There is the press, that hopes this may be the flash of fire in front of the spigot of the powder keg that is the Balkans. As if there isn't enough news to cover.
Archduke Ferdinand: Reloaded?
Exactly. I observe in quiet amazement the way we have gone in there supporting this and opposing that.
It's like walking over razor blades to sit at a poker table where everybody cheats and the chips are skulls. Insanity.
Mekstizzle
WALKER
+3,611|6591|London, England
It was the Serbs, in revenge for Kosovo.

That'll start things up, who's on for spreading that around Kosovo/Albania via email. If we get caught we'll say we did it for lulz. I nominate ATG.

On a serious note, that is alot of people to perish over an accident..
Varegg
Support fanatic :-)
+2,206|6780|Nårvei

USA Today wrote:

The depot, which is used as a location to destroy excess ammunition, is at Gerdec village, about six miles north of the capital, Tirana. The blast was heard more than 30 miles away, and people fled from nearby villages.

President Bamir Topi, speaking on Albanian television, called for calm, to avoid panic and chaos.

Albin Mecaj, 22, who works at the depot, told the AP by telephone that about 80 people had been working on destroying ammunition at the time of the explosion. Mecaj, who was badly burned in the blast, said that usually about 120 people are working there.
Wait behind the line ..............................................................
GunSlinger OIF II
Banned.
+1,860|6613
old ammunition is unstable.  explosives, by their very nature, are unstable.

thats why they tell you not to wear a watch when youre dealing with bombs.

Last edited by GunSlinger OIF II (2008-03-15 12:01:40)

FEOS
Bellicose Yankee Air Pirate
+1,182|6381|'Murka

Don't know if anyone saw the video of the explosion on the news...but HOLY FUCKING SHIT!

Last edited by FEOS (2008-03-15 19:56:39)

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
― Albert Einstein

Doing the popular thing is not always right. Doing the right thing is not always popular
Commie Killer
Member
+192|6357
Thats one big ass explosion.
XanKrieger
iLurk
+60|6628|South West England
Mushroom Clouds are never good...
Vilham
Say wat!?
+580|6736|UK
Wow... that is the biggest explosion ive ever seen that isnt a nuke.
greensprite
awsm
+13|6136|Germany
Wooo just saw it in the news right now....what a fcking big explosion!

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