Saarbruecken, Feb, 10.
Following the explosion of one of largest gas tanks in the entire Saar district, the police to-night estimated that 170 persons. are dead, and that 1,000 are injured. The surrounding area is in ruins.
The explosion—oceurred. Neunkirchen where the local fire and ambulance service was completely demoralised and an emergency call had to be sent to surrounding towns to hurry. fire-fighting apparatus, ambulances and physicians to the spot, Hospitals in all the surrounding towns are filled with the victims. While firemen are subduing the fires that were caused by the explosion, police reserves have been sent from surrounding districts. to assist in quelling marauders and looters, who immediately rushed to the place, 'The explosion destroyed the way station and twisted the' rails of the road in such a manner relief trains could not run over Telephone lines were tora and relief work was under the greatest of So intense was the ex-that trick and stone build-Jngex were demolished and the flying uaxonry was known to have kill even persons, The authorities have The flames were visible 30 miles away, according to Reuter, and 89 terrific was the sound that it could be heard at Basel, and Heidel Bodies were hurled across - whol streets shed against walls of bul ighbouring villages were buildings, while "houses wed. Owing to the destruc-of and ions, it was not ies had arrived surrounding villages. that news of the catastrophe became! generally known.
The works destroyed included gas-and-coke and electricity blast, furnaces and the most modern plant in the whole of the Saar basin.
Neunkirehen, Feb. 11.
Rescue workers had recovered 56 bodies tp to one, o'clock this after= noon, but it Ts. believed that. the! Geath toll will reach a much higher Toe umber of injured number of injured is expec: ed to exceed 2,000, of whom more than' a half sustained "slight "me Juries due to flying glass. "So far, 147, many of whom may die, hays been "treated "for grave While 300 others received Injuries Of a less serious "nature—United Press.
Cologne, Feb. 11.
It is now believed that the disaster was due to an explosion of a petrol tank igniting Whole families were wipe: out as houses collapsed like a pack of cards, A huge store of coke is still burn: ing, as well as several buildings, but there is now no danger of farther Excavation work continues, It is estimated that it will take a few weeks to clear the streets of the Jdebris and to repair the electric and telephone wires.
Great distress prevails, as hundreds have been rendered. workless.
The catastrophe is alleged to have been caused by a fire in a petrol tank which spread to the gasometer, but some attribute the explosion to the recent earthquake in South Germany damaging the gasometer. Tt is feared that the. men who could clear the mystery are now The disaster was the worst in Germany since 1921, when the explosion of an ammonia tank and a gasometer killed 350 persons.
Flags have deen ifalf-masted {throughout the Reich in mourning for the victims. President von Hin-Jdenburg heads a relief fund with 2 contribution of 100,000 marks.
The Sar Commission has set aside 500,000 franes to provide a gift of 1,500 francs to every family 'a member dead or seriously jured.
The disaster has cast a pall of Jgloom over the whole of Neucn-Kirehen, a town with a population of 40,000, Police, doctors and nurses, joined by grief-stricken relatives, worked feverishly throughout the "night to rescue the injured and dying from the ruins of buildings, and fresh crews of workers took the place of those too weary to continue.
The explosion was felt throughout the entire Upper Rhine valley, from Cologne to the Swiss border, and almost every window pane in the: area was shat ter.
Now that the danger of further
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