- Title: SOUTH VIETNAM: TWELVE KILLED IN THREE-ROCKET ATTACK ON SAIGON.
- Date: 4th March 1969
- Summary: FIREMEN FIGHTING BLAZE IN DOCKLAND AREA; HOUSES BURNING; SOLDIERS AND CROWDS; WOMAN CRYING; DEAD BEING CARRIED AWAY; WRECKED HOUSES IN DAYLIGHT; WOMEN AND CHILDREN AT SCENE. Initials GL/VS/JH/SC Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 19th March 1969 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SAIGON, SOUTH VIETNAM
- Country: Vietnam
- Reuters ID: LVAET16PBHIQ6BQBO0N1L7L3J6JQ
- Story Text: THREE VIET CONG ROCKETS SLAMMED INTO SAIGON BEFORE DAWN YESTERDAY (MONDAY) KILLING 12 PEOPLE AND INJURING 23. AMONG THE DEAD WERE AN ENTIRE FAMILY OF EIGHT AND THREE OF THEIR NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOURS.
THE FAMILY OF EIGHT AND THEIR THREE NEIGHBOURS WERE KILLED WHEN ONE OF THE THREE ROCKETS EXPLODED IN A DENSELY-POPULATED DOCKLAND AREA OF WOODED SHACKS, SETTING THEM BLAZE. THIRTY HOMES WERE DESTROYED.
DOCKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES FLED THROUGH THE NARROW STREETS, CARRYING WHAT BELONGINGS THEY HAD BEEN ABLE TO SALVAGE ON BICYCLES AND HANDCARTS. LARGE CROWDS GATHERED BEFORE AND AFTER DAWN TO WATCH FIREMEN FIGHT THE FIRES AND BRING OUT THE DEAD, AND MILITIAMEN WERE ON DUTY TO CONTROL THEM.
THE THREE ROCKETS WERE THE 122-MILLIMETRE TYPE CARRYING A 14-POUND (6.3 KILOGRAM) WARHEAD. THE SECOND ROCKET NARROWLY MISSED A CHILDREN'S WARD AT THE FRENCH-RUN GRALL HOSPITAL, THE CAPITAL'S LEADING CLINIC. IT ??? A HOLE IN THE HOSPITAL WALL AND THREE CHILDREN SUFFERED OUTS FROM FLYING GLASS.
THE THIRD ROCKET CRASHED INTO SAIGON'S STREET OF FLOWERS MARKET, KILLING A SOUTH VIETNAMESE SOLDIER AND WOUNDING THREE CIVILIANS.
DESPITE THE CASUALTIES, MILITARY OFFICIALS SAID ANTI-ROCKET PATROLS AND THE RADAR SCREEN ROUND THE CITY WERE BECOMING MORE AND MORE EFFECTIVE. FOR THE FIRST TIME GUERILLAS HAD TO FIRE AT MAXIMUM RANGE.
SAIGON'S MILITARY GOVERNOR SAID RADAR AND COMPUTER SYSTEMS HAD PINPOINTED THE VIET CONG ROCKET POSITION AND BROUGHT IT UNDER ARTILLERY FIRE WITHIN THREE MINUTES OF THE FIRST ROCKET'S LANDING.
SOUTH VIETNAM YESTERDAY SENT A PROTEST NOTE TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONTROL COMMISSION SAYING THAT SINCE THE PARIS PEACE TALKS BEGAN "NORTH VIETNAMESE COMMUNISTS HAVE INTENSIFIED TERRORISM AGAINST THE PEOPLE BY SHELLING POPULATED AREAS THROUGHOUT SOUTH VIETNAM."
THE SAIGON ATTACK WAS ONE OF ABOUT 200 ROCKET AND MORTAR ATTACKS THROUGHOUT SOUTH VIETNAM DURING THE NIGHT, THE TENTH CONSECUTIVE NIGHT OF NATIONWIDE SHELLINGS OF TOWNS AND MILITARY INSTALLATIONS.
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