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| Africa: Subsaharan | |||
| TWO KILLED IN MAURITIUS EXPLOSION | |||
| 2004-07-26 | |||
| Two people have been killed and 14 injured in an explosion in the tourist resort of Grand Baie on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius. "An explosion occurred in a building housing restaurants, bars and shops in Grand Baie," police spokesman Max Louison said. "At this moment we are not in a position to say what the cause of the explosion is. But we are taking it very seriously." A man and a woman, both in their mid-20s, were killed in the blast. Police said they believed that all of those injured were Mauritian. Forensic experts are trying to find the cause of the explosion. Paul Berenger, Prime Minister of the island of 1.2 million people, was also at the scene. UPDATE: An explosion at a tourist resort on the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius that killed two people and injured 13 on Sunday may have been caused by gas cylinders, a government minister said. The blast in the resort of Grand Baie tore through a two-storey building housing restaurants, bars and shops at about 1:45 a.m. (2145 GMT), causing part of the top floor to collapse. "We believe that it could be due to the explosion of gas cylinders. We hope it is something like that," Anil Bachoo, minister of public infrastructure and transport, told Reuters while inspecting the scene. "We don't think it's a terrorist attack as we don't have terrorists in Mauritius," he said. He expected an investigation by forensic experts to be finished within 48 hours.
The country has no history of attacks on tourist sites and markets itself as safe for visitors, but the United States issued a travel advisory in March warning of a possible terrorist threat on the island and in the east African region. Over 700,000 tourists visited the island's white sand beaches last year, which lie some 4,000 km (2,500 miles) east of South Africa, bringing in almost $750 million in revenue.
Mauritius is also a major regional banking center and the world's seventh largest sugar exporter. It plans to turn itself into a "cyber island" information technology hub linking Asian software expertise with Africa.
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| Posted by:Fred |
| #2 The truth and nothing but the truth -There are terrorist in Mauritius Anil Gayan, minister of tourism and leisure, told reporters on Jul 27 that the explosion was probably caused by gas leak and that there are no terrorists in Mauritius. Thats a damn lie. As we already know in Mauritius there is a serious problem of threat from a certain group of people. They wanted independence and they said they will will have their own laws and their own police force right in Port Louis. In 1999 the Amical Casino was bombed with molotov cocktails. It was a planned and well coordinated attacked with the pillon riders of a hoard of motorcycles throwing the bombs into the Casino. The fire killed relatives and the all the family members of the owner including his pregnant wife. They have claimed that they will put poison our sugar. This is to destroy the economy of Mauritius they said Tourism is becoming our very important and vital sector the economy. Does it make you wonder why at the eve of the tourist high season the bombing is in a busy night spot area just like another island in Indonesia which devestated their economy which was tourism dependent? Its people who live in Mauritius whos lives are at stake. If wrong information is being given out they cannot take the right precautions are we waiting for a Sept 11 to happen here? Everyone in Mauritius knows that the minister is not speaking accurately that it is a gas explosion. It is a bomb not gaz. The reason is plain and almost all can see 1. It is too powerful. Residents 1 km away woke up from their sleep from the sound of a blast. How much gas can be found in a kitchen to level the building this way. 2. There is no fire. NO FIRE at all. All of us saw the MBC news of the Belgium blast that was gas and we all can see that everywhere was fire even the cars plants tree were on fire. 3. Why on MBC Sunday night the minister said a report would be given by tuesday or wednesday latest and now it is not conclusive? It is something obvious if it was gas?. 4. Why FBI and CIA is on our island? To help solve a gas explosion.? Anil Gayan also said that he would provide the report within 48 hrs. Well its more than a week and why the report is late? Lies have been told before and thers is nothing new to this, I say it is better to tell the truth. In Madrid the govt lied and they went out. It is fair for everyone. The next blast may not be in Grand Baie how are we to save our lives and our families if the truth is not said? Everyone in Mauritius said that the Grand Baie explosion is BOMB not GAZ, The truth and nothing but the truth please. |
| Posted by: Anil 2004-08-02 12:58:30 PM |
| #1 The explosion of Djerba was also caused by gas cylinders. It was just that somebody drove a truck with them into a synagogue. Of course no terrorists (first) because Tunisia didn't have any... But millions of tourists. The Al Qaeda plot concerned the neighboring island of La Réunion. Hmmmmmmm |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2004-07-26 4:53:25 PM |