IRAQ: VEHICLES JAM THE BRIDGE ACROSS THE EUPHRATES RIVER AS REFUGEES TRY TO FLEE BASRA AND BRITISH FORCES CAPTURE THE OIL REFINERY INTACT.
Record ID:
590767
IRAQ: VEHICLES JAM THE BRIDGE ACROSS THE EUPHRATES RIVER AS REFUGEES TRY TO FLEE BASRA AND BRITISH FORCES CAPTURE THE OIL REFINERY INTACT.
- Title: IRAQ: VEHICLES JAM THE BRIDGE ACROSS THE EUPHRATES RIVER AS REFUGEES TRY TO FLEE BASRA AND BRITISH FORCES CAPTURE THE OIL REFINERY INTACT.
- Date: 29th March 2003
- Summary: (W5) BASRA, IRAQ (MARCH 29, 2003)(REUTERS) 1. LOOMING CLOUD OF SMOKE / VEHICLES WITH WS/MLV: REFUGEES QUEUING FOR BASRA BRIDGE / TRAFFIC JAM. 0.12 2. MV: BRITISH SOLDIERS. 0.16 3. MLV: RING OF TANKS. PAN TO REFUGEES. 0.26 4. MLV: OF BRITISH SOLDIERS CARRYING OUT INSPECTIONS OF REFUGEES. 0.30 5. SCU/MV: SOLDIER ON TANK. 0.38 6. MLV/MV: REFUGEES. (2 SHOTS) 0.54 7. VARIOUS: REFUGEES UNPACKING THEIR BELONGINGS FOR INSPECTION BY TROOPS AND BEING BODY SEARCHED. (5 SHOTS) 1.38 8. WS: REFUGEES SQUATTING ON THE GROUND AS TANK ROLLS PAST. 1.47 9. WS/SCU: MORE OF TANKS AHEAD OF LOOMING CLOUD OF BLACK SMOKE. (2 SHOTS) 1.57 10. MLV/PAN/ CU: DAMAGED AND DESTROYED TANKS. (2 SHOTS) 2.11 11. WS: DESTROYED VEHICLE WITH PLUMES OF BLACK SMOKE IN THE BACKGROUND. 2.18 12. WS: REFUGEES WALKING ALONG ROAD / ALMOST ENGULFED IN BLACK SMOKE. 2.25 13. MLV/MV: REFUGEES WALKING PAST A BRITISH TANK AND SOLDIERS. 2.35 14. GV/PAN: MORE OF BLACK SMOKE. 2.55 15. VARIOUS: OIL SLICK / OIL BURNING. (4 SHOTS) 3.15 16. VARIOUS: OIL TERMINAL ABANDONED BY THE IRAQI'S 3.54 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 13th April 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BASRA, IRAQ
- Country: Iraq
- Reuters ID: LVA4VPKG0RFDWQ1FJH7VX3NJRN1A
- Story Text: A stream of refugees has crossed over a bridge outside
the besieged Iraqi city of Basra and headed towards encamped
British forces.
For many Iraqis trying to make their way into the
besieged city of Basra, the final sweep of highway arching
over the Euphrates river was proving on Saturday (March 29, 2003)
to be a bridge too far.
Thousands of people were gathered on both sides of the
bridge leading to the south of the city, most trying to escape
to find food and water, but others trying to get in.
There were scenes of pandemonium as a logjam of vehicles
formed in front of two British Challenger tanks guarding the
bridge.
Ponies drawing carts piled high with vegetables reared and
spilled their load as their masters tried to whip them through
the crowd. Drivers gesticulated wildly and swore at each
other.
Meanwhile, Basra's oil refinery, intact despite days of
fighting between British troops and Iraqi paramilitaries,
could resume operations once electricity is restored and crude
arrives, Iraqi workers said on Saturday.
The 140,000 barrels per day (bpd) facility sits about five
km (three miles) outside Basra, Iraq's second city, which is
now ringed by British and U.S. tanks, artillery and armoured
personnel carriers.
The Basra refinery, targeted by the United States and
Britain during their 1998 bombing blitz, escaped sabotage last
week by Iraqi troops, though they allegedly set fire to a
number of oil wells across the southern region.
Brooks said three oil wells were still ablaze in the
Rumaila oilfield in southern Iraq but that he hoped that
number would be further reduced by firefighting teams in the
coming days.
GULF WAR 3
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