06 June 2004 19:37
Business rivalry now seen behind Russian oil tank blast
Neftekumsk (Stavropol Territory), 6 June: The explosion at a tank containing 5,000 t of oil at an oil pumping station
in the village of Kamysh-Burun near Neftekumsk on Saturday [5 June] is most likely not to have been the work of
terrorists, but was probably the result of a settling of scores among oil industry rivals. As an ITAR-TASS correspondent
was told today by the information department of the Stavropol Territory Chief Internal Affairs Directorate, a list of
suspects has been drawn up, a criminal case has been instituted and investigations are under way under the article of
the Russian Federation Criminal Code dealing with deliberate destruction and damage to property by means of an
explosion.
The oil pumping station at Kamysh-Burun belongs to the Chernomortransneft joint-stock company. It has been
established that the container with oil burst into flames after being holed by a radio-controlled explosive device. It
took four hours for the sheet of flame to be put out. No-one was killed among the oil pumping station staff or
firemen.
Another explosive device was discovered in the course of a search at the station, but it had not gone off.
Operational measures and inquiries to solve the crime are being carried out jointly by members of the territorial
Chief Internal Affairs Directorate, the Federal Security Service Directorate for Stavropol Territory and the Stavropol
Territory prosecution service.
[ITAR-TASS news agency] |
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