Truck explodes in northern Mexico, killing 37, police say

[IDemo]

Source: Associated Press


BREAKING NEWS
Updated: 14 minutes ago

PIEDRAS NEGRAS, Mexico - A truck carrying mining explosives blew up after colliding with another vehicle in northern Mexico, killing at least 37 people, including three reporters who had come to the scene, state and federal officials said.

Soldiers, police, emergency officials, nearby residents and reporters were on the scene Sunday night when the a fire broke out and the truck filled with explosives went off, according to Luis Horacio de Hoyos of the Coahuila state Attorney General’s Office.

The explosion occurred near the town of Sacramento.

Maximo Alberto Neri Lopez, a federal police official, said 37 people were killed and 150 were injured. He said the explosion left a 10-by-40 foot crater in the concrete.


Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20689768/

[fasttense]

1. Shades of things to come here in the US

since Mexican truckers are all over the country now.

[havocmom]

3. Que? Lo siento, pero no hablo English

no hablo or is it no habla? My mind remembers it one way the translator says something else

[Kali]

9. yeah they are all over and carrying explosives too

:eyes:

if an accident is a reason to keep truckers from driving here, then we wouldn't let American drivers work here either.

[Skittles]

24. we certainly hope

that here, trucks are properly marked and at least minimally maintained......

[Kali]

28. are Mexican trucks and drivers going to be exempt from US laws and regulations

while they are on this side?

[fasttense]

25. On the conditions of Mexican trucks

from the Mexican drivers themselves.

"The longest distance I drive," said a driver about 30 in a black T-shirt, "is from Ensenada to Cancun, 4,500 kilometers. Five days and six nights alone. Tomatoes. The company won't pay for a second driver."

Ah, but how can a man stay awake and drive for five straight days?

The table erupts in laughter. The man facing the empty liter of beer smiles and says, "Professional secret." The younger man in the black T-shirt offers one phrase, "Magic dust." There are more smiles and mention of "special chemicals."

And then they are off, a torrent of words and quips and smiles, and a knowing discussion of that jolt when a line of cocaine locks in. They are all family men who run the highways at least 25 days a month and they are adamant about two things -- that nobody can run these long hauls without cocaine and crystal meth, and now and then some marijuana to level out the rush. And that the biggest danger on their endless runs comes from addicted Mexican truck drivers, which means all truck drivers."

http://www.teamster.org/resources/members/TeamsterMagazine/06August/nafta.htm

[gasperc]

2. wonder if the truck was intended to cross border

that would be significant, otherwise, just sounds like another poorly maintained, overworked Mexican truck

[liberal N proud]

4. I wonder the same thing

Another thought I had was, will they (the bu$h regime) use this as another terra warning

[Dr.Phool]

5. Expect an announcement from Al Queda in Sombreros

Right after the afternoon siesta.

[ohio2007]

19. LOL --->Los Laden and the terroristas strike again nt

[carly denise pt deux]

27. LOL

Carly

[me b zola]

23. I think that it is significant, regardless of the destination of the truck

So far the debate on this issue has (besides the labor factor)focused on the potential hazard of foreign/Mexican trucks and their drivers that do not operate under the same regulations and safety guidelines as US trucks and their drivers.

The US has strict regulations, of the handling, transportation, and storage of explosives. The regulations came about in large part due to an accident loading explosives onto a naval vessel that wiped out Port Chicago. http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq80-1.htm

It is doubtful that Mexico operates under similar explosives regulations as the US, and the consequences can be catastrophic.

[Ilsa]

30. Furthermore, a report on CNN yesterday said that there will not be

very many inspections of trucks coming across, because our govt doesn't want to slow down the border crossin traffic. JFG.

And how are we going to stop any potential terrorists from smuggling radiological or biological warfare into the US?

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Ian David]

7. So glad Bush has decided to welcome those trucks into our country. n/t

[L0oniX]

8. O crap ! There goes my order for more dynamite.

:nuke:

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Rick Myers]

12. Mexico dynamite truck explosion kills 34

Source: AP/Yahoo

PIEDRAS NEGRAS, Mexico - A dynamite-laden truck exploded after colliding with another vehicle on a busy highway in northern Mexico's coal country, killing at least 34 people, including three reporters at the scene, state and federal officials said.


Authorities said the two vehicles crashed into each other Sunday evening, drawing a crowd of curious onlookers as well as a small army of police, soldiers, emergency officials and journalists.

Shortly after the crowd arrived, the wreckage caught fire, and the dynamite exploded, sending a ball of fire into the sky that consumed nearby cars and left a 10-by-40 foot crater in the concrete, said Maximo Alberto Neri Lopez, a federal police official.

(snip)




Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070910/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/mexico_truck_explosion

---

And they want to let these trucks on US roads???

[tsuki]

13. Republican talking point down here. You're a racist if you protest

the Mexican truckers.

[Name removed]

14. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Rick Myers]

16. Excuse me?

It's an LBN story, I didn't write it.

on edit: Sounds like somebody could use a 'time out.'

[jdlh8894]

15. And NAFTA was approved by?????N/T

[Rick Myers]

17. FYI, NAFTA was SIGNED by George Herbert Walker Bush

[ohio2007]

20. The problem isn't the trucks or the drivers.... its the TNT !!

nt

[phillysuse]

21. Trucks and drivers don't kill people -

TNT kills people.

[ronnie624]

22. Which trucks are you refering to?

The ones that have traffic accidents?

It is very unlikely, that there will be any Mexican trucks hauling dynamite into the United States.

[Gman]

18. The truck obviously had no warning signs

The driver likely didn't know what he was hauling.

Very, very typical for down there.

[carly denise pt deux]

26. hmmm

Americans have to pay taxes to build and maintain the roads that these trucks are going to have a hand in tearing up over the years, do they have to pay any kind of taxes or fees to get into this country with those trucks?

What kind of security is in place? Hopefully they will be checking these vehicles as thorough as they do the trucks in the US...drivers logs, laws on how long a driver drives without sleep, etc.

[sarcasmo]

29. Get ready for more stories like this one.

Welcome Mexican Truckers.