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Subscribe to RSSThis brings to mind the tragedy of the exploding fuel tanker in the Congo over the weekend, which killed 242 people.
AP
Afghans collect fuel from a tanker shot up in an attack on a NATO supply convoy in Baghlan province, north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, July 6, 2010.
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Fill 'er up.
Hey, this is an amazing photo from AP. Whoever the phrog is who took it was mighty brave, as most cameras are not "Explosion Proof".
I don't think I'd risk it, gas is nasty and burns the eyes, not to mention it explodes.
As far as I know, most people are not explosion proof, either. :)
Wow... real life "Mad Max".... who woulda thought?
In the movies, that tanker would have exploded when the bullets pierced the hull. So are the movies exaggerating? Or were they just lucky?
lola3: Mythbusters Episode 15 had a pretty good debunking of the "if you shoot a fuel tank it will explode" myth--it didn't explode. They later revisited the subject, shooting a tank with tracer rounds from a minigun--it did explode then. But the danger to these men of any spark or flame setting off the fuel still seems extremely high. I'm with SBPhrog... I'd take off in the other direction.
Thank you Stokes. The only episodes I've seen lately of Mythbusters were during Shark Week. Go figure.
And I'm in full agreement. I'd be heading for the hills.
I thought that it was the flames themselves that were flammable, so an empty fuel truck would be more explosion-prone than a full one... But I am not a chemistry major, so don't quote me on that...
"I thought that it was the flames themselves that were flammable"
FUMES.... I thought that it's the FUMES that were flammable.
Noticing that flames are flammable would be a pretty redundant observation to make...
Lets Parrttyy!...This tanker could be full of ethanol!?
Yes, this is Ali Baba and the Seven Thieves in action! (I think I counted right-one guys barely visable to the right). Oops, then there's The Hand with Bucket. Oh well, it sounded cool.
I wonder if the people getting the gas are the same people who did the shooting.
There seem to be a lot of gas cans readily available for mere passerbys.
But then again, I don't know the area personally. Maybe it's completely normal for everyone to carry around a gas can or two, you know, just in case...