BANDUNG GAS STATION UNDER REPAIR BLOWS UP, KILLING ONE

Bandung, Nov 11 (ANTARA) - A gas station on Raya Soreang street, Banjaran, Bandung district, West Java, exploded at 11 a.m local time, killing one worker.

The explosion might have been triggered by a welding machine operated by Asep, who was in the middle of repairing an underground gasoline storage tank, Bandung Police chief, Adj. Sr. Comr. Ahmad Dofiri, said here on Tuesday.

A seal ripped off when Asep was welding a pipe connected to the storage tank, which had been drained of gasoline and out of commission for about a week.

However, Dofiri said, the tank could have contained flammable gasses.

Ahmad said the explosion had torn Asep's body into pieces with some body parts hurled as far as 60 meters from the explosion.

A witness, Tendri Gunawan, saw the body on top of the gas station canopy.

"I heard an explosion and a headless body fell from the canopy. I realized the victim was Asep, the welder," he said.

The police later took Asep's body to Hasan Sadikin Hospital for autopsy and identification.

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