At least 27 people died and 72 were injured when an explosion destroyed a liquefied natural gas plant in the eastern Algerian port of Skikda yesterday evening. The explosion was apparently caused by a defective boiler.
Pictures screened on Algerian television showed scenes of devastation, with three liquefaction units destroyed in the explosion.
The plant, located some 500km east of the capital Algiers, is part of a huge complex which liquefies Algerian gas from the Sahara, much of it for export to Europe.
