France Waits for Investigation Results of Oil Tanker Explosion

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, October 07, 2002

France Waits for Investigation Results of Oil Tanker Explosion

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France will not judge what nature was the explosion of the French oil tanker Limburg off the Yemeni coast earlier Sunday until the investigation concludes, the French Foreign Ministry announced in Paris.

"An investigation is being made by the Yemeni authorities tofind the causes of the explosion ... At this moment and in waitingfor the results of this investigation, any commentary on the causeof the fire would be premature," said a ministerial spokesman.Limbourg, a 330-meter-long oil tanker, was set ablaze by anexplosion off the eastern coast of Yemen earlier in the day. Itwas carrying 397,000 barrels of crude oil on its way from Iran tothe Yemeni port of Mina al-Dabah.

Eleven of the 25 crew members on board have been rescued andthe rest are missing, according to reports from Yemen.Marcel Goncalves, Vice Consul of France in Sanaa, said theblast was a terrorist attack, probably by a small boat loaded withexplosives ramming into the ship and setting it on fire.The owner of the oil tanker reportedly confirmed what the viceconsul said, which implied an attack in the same style as the USSCole experienced.

In 2000, an explosion hit the United States destroyer USS Colein the Yemeni port of Aden, killing 17 servicemen and woundingmore than 30 others. Washington blames the terror attack on Ossamaben Laden's Al Qaeda network.

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