Death Toll from Gas Explosion Increased to 38

According to a report in today's Arab News the death toll from yesterday's gas explosion has increased to 38. This is not surprising, on consideration, as yesterday's report mentioned that twelve workers were missing.

Nevertheless, this must have been a huge explosion to have killed so many. The report also states that at least 60 people were injured.

The explosion occurred on the Haradh-Othmaniya gas pipeline which is in the region of the huge Al-Ghawar (map, also see above) oil field - the largest oil field in the world.

As a subscriber to the Jim Hacker school of political cynicism, the official denial of any terrorist involvement means that I have to consider it a possibility. The coincidence of the OPEC conference in Riyadh also makes me think that a terrorist link should be looked at.


However, there are many oil and gas pipelines running across the Saudi desert. It would be much easier for Iranian agents or Al Qaeda supporters to sabotage a pipeline out in the desert away from prying eyes. The fact that so many workers were caught up in the blast indicates to me that this explosion can be easily explained as a case of human error.