17 Killed in Burma Blast

Explosion was caused by warehouse fire, not bomb, officials say
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 29, 2011 2:29 AM CST
17 Killed in Burma Blast
Firefighters and Red Cross workers amid the destroyed buildings and debris in Rangoon this morning.   (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)

A fire and a massive explosion killed at least 17 people in Rangoon today. More than 100 others, including dozens of firefighters, were injured by the pre-dawn blast in the former Burmese capital, the BBC reports. The blast in a warehouse compound is not thought to have been caused by a bomb, officials say. The explosion shook the entire city and destroyed several nearby buildings, including a Buddhist monastery. (More explosion stories.)

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