FUEL STORAGE TANKS IN FRANCE BURST INTO FLAMES
Two people were missing and six
injured after tanks containing thousands of cubic metres of
fuel burst into flames today at a Shell storage unit in Lyon,
rescue workers said.
    The blaze broke out with an explosion around 1330 local
time (1130 GMT). Shell is a subsidiary of the Royal Dutch/Shell
Group <RD>.
    Some 200 firemen fought the flames at the gasoline storage
unit at Edouard Herriot riverside port complex and appeared to
have the blaze under control as night fell. The entire southern
section of Lyon was cordoned off.
    The fire destroyed five giant tanks and threatened four
others, the Shell spokesman said. He said that the company
estimated between six and seven thousand cubic metres of
domestic fuel oil, gasoline and additives had been burned.
    The total capacity of the burning tanks was over 10,000
cubic metres, but some had been empty when an explosion started
today's fire, he added.
 Reuter
