GEORGIA: Explosion hits fuel train near key Georgian town

Record ID: 359196

  • Title: GEORGIA: Explosion hits fuel train near key Georgian town
  • Date: 24th August 2008
  • Summary: (W2) GORI, GEORGIA (AUGUST 24, 2008) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DESTROYED HOUSES/DEBRIS VARIOUS OF DAMAGED BANK OF GEORGIA IN CITY CENTRE MAN ON LADDER CLEARING BROKEN WINDOW FACADE AUTOMATIC TELLER MACHINE BULLET HOLES IN WINDOW NEAR AUTOMATIC TELLER MACHINE INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS WHO HAVE ARRIVED FROM TBILISI WATING TO BE TAKEN BY BUS TO THEIR VILLAGES GORI CENTRAL SQUA
  • Embargoed: 8th September 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Georgia
  • Country: Georgia
  • Topics: War / Fighting,Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
  • Reuters ID: LVA2LZY3VDZUEE2Q27FF2CKBXD0G
  • Story Text: A fuel train exploded on Sunday on Georgia's main east-west rail line and police said it appeared to have hit a landmine.
    Officials said the train was on the main track of the line linking eastern and western Georgia, a vital trade route for oil exports from Azerbaijan to European markets.
    The extent of the damage was not immediately clear.
    A Reuters correspondent saw huge plumes of black smoke pouring from the wreckage of the train in the village of Skra, 5 km (3 miles) west of Gori.
    Russian troops left Gori, a key town in the Russia-Georgia conflict over breakaway South Ossetia, on Friday after a 10-day occupation. The explosion occurred near an abandoned Georgian military base.
    Russian forces pushed into Georgia this month after repelling a Georgian offensive to retake breakaway South Ossetia from pro-Moscow separatists.
    Moscow has now pulled back most of its tanks and troops, but said it would maintain checkpoints in a buffer zone adjacent to South Ossetia and in Georgia's Black Sea port of Poti.
    Emergency services managed to unhitch 19 wagons and move them away from the fire, averting possible further explosions.
    The line runs through the capital Tbilisi before splitting in three and running to the Black Sea ports of Poti and Batumi and southwest to just short of the Turkish border.
    On Aug. 16, an explosion downed a bridge on the line further east near the town of Kaspi. Russia denied Georgian accusations that it was behind the attack.
    Oil exports were disrupted, but Azerbaijan said Georgia had offered a smaller, disused rail bridge for use until the damaged bridge was repaired.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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