7 Dead in Glasgow blast

GLASGOW – Rescue crews doggedly kept up their search yesterday for more survivors of a powerful blast at a plastics factory in Scotland’s largest city Glasgow that left seven people dead.

Strathclyde fire chief Brian Sweeney said there was still hope of finding people alive beneath the rubble of the Stockline Plastics building, levelled by Tuesday’s explosion. At least 41 people were injured in the blast, 17 of them seriously, in Scotland’s worst industrial accident in a decade, emergency services said.Seven of the injured had been pulled from the debris.Hopes that their might be more survivors grew at dawn when knocking noises was heard from the debris of the four-storey industrial building, Sweeney told reporters at the scene.Sniffer dogs also gave signs that there might yet be people trapped beneath.”We still believe there are a number of people trapped within the structure,” said Sweeney nearly 24 hours after Tuesday’s midday disaster.”We don’t know what the figure is now.We hope people are alive.”The cause of the blast was under investigation, after initial news reports spoke of a possible gas leak.Also under suspicion were gas ovens, used in the plant’s manufacturing processes.Fire fighters ruled out an attack by extremists.It was also unclear yesterday just how many people were in the plant, which according to local press reports specialised in plastics used to make police equipment such as riot shields.”We are not going to speculate on how many people are down there,” said police superintendent John Cattell.”It is a fairly low number.This is still very much a rescue operation.”- Nampa-AFPAt least 41 people were injured in the blast, 17 of them seriously, in Scotland’s worst industrial accident in a decade, emergency services said.Seven of the injured had been pulled from the debris.Hopes that their might be more survivors grew at dawn when knocking noises was heard from the debris of the four-storey industrial building, Sweeney told reporters at the scene.Sniffer dogs also gave signs that there might yet be people trapped beneath.”We still believe there are a number of people trapped within the structure,” said Sweeney nearly 24 hours after Tuesday’s midday disaster.”We don’t know what the figure is now.We hope people are alive.”The cause of the blast was under investigation, after initial news reports spoke of a possible gas leak.Also under suspicion were gas ovens, used in the plant’s manufacturing processes.Fire fighters ruled out an attack by extremists.It was also unclear yesterday just how many people were in the plant, which according to local press reports specialised in plastics used to make police equipment such as riot shields.”We are not going to speculate on how many people are down there,” said police superintendent John Cattell.”It is a fairly low number.This is still very much a rescue operation.”- Nampa-AFP