Gasoline blast in Venezuelan home kills six

www.sabcnews.com January 14, 2003, 23:00

Hugo Chavez, the President of Venezuela Six people, including four children, were killed in Venezuela today in the explosion of a family's gasoline cache, apparently stockpiled because a nationwide work stoppage has disrupted fuel supplies, officials said.

Four children between the ages of 9 and 15 were among those who died in the explosion in the western Andean state of Merida, Luis Martin, the state governor's secretary, told local radio. Four men and a woman were also injured. Martin said they suffered second-degree burns on 90% of their bodies.

Many Venezuelans have started storing gasoline in their homes to offset shortages caused by the 6-week-old strike called by opposition leaders to press leftist President Hugo Chavez to resign and hold early elections.

The shutdown has crippled vital oil production and exports, causing an unprecedented scarcity of gasoline in the world's No. 5 petroleum exporter. Long lines of cars and trucks have formed daily at gas stations around the country and authorities have prohibited the sale of gasoline in containers. - Reuters