1.
TV PAN WRECKAGE
0.13

2.
SV PEOPLE WITH LOUD HAILER BY WRECKAGE
0.16

3.
GV PAN FROM HELPERS TO WRECKAGE
0.35

4.
SV TELEVISION TECHNICIAN PAN TO WRECKAGE
0.41

5.
GV WRECKAGE
0.54

6.
CU DITTO
0.57

7.
SV PAN FROM WRECKAGE TO DAMAGED VAN ( 2 SHOTS )
1.06

8.
SV WRECKED CAR
1.09

9.
GV PAN WRECKAGE
1.20



Initials EH/VS/PN/PS



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: A FULL-SCALE GOVERNMENT ENQUIRY HAS NOW BEEN LAUNCHED INTO THE GAS EXPLOSION DISASTER WHICH CLAIMED THE LIVES OF MORE THAN TWO PEOPLE ON WEDNESDAY (8 APRIL) IN OSAKA - SITE OF THE EXPO-70 WORLD FAIR.

IN THE MEANTIME, AN ARMY OF DEMOLITION WORKERS IS STRUGGLING WITH THE AFTERMATH OF THE EXPLOSION, CLEARING WRECKAGE WHICH COVERS A WIDE AREA.

ACCORDING TO THE OSAKA FIRE DEPARTMENT, 71 PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND 251 INJURED - 92 OF THEM SERIOUSLY-BY THE BLAST AND SUBSEQUENT FIRE.

THE EXPLOSION OCCURRED BENEATH A DENSELY POPULATED DISTRICT WHERE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS ARE BUILDING A NEW UNDERGROUND RAILWAY LINE. A GAS LEAK IN AN UNDERGROUND TUNNEL WAS REPORTED ABOUT HALF AN HOUR EARLIER. EVACUATION OF THE AREA HAD STARTED, BUT MANY PEOPLE WERE CAUGHT ON THE BUSY STREETS AND IN THEIR HOMES WHEN THE FIRST BLAST SHOOK THE AREA. AT LEAST TOW MORE EXPLOSIONS FOLLOWED. CONCRETE BLOCKS STEEL PLATES WHICH HAD BEEN LAID OVER THE EXCAVATIONS, AND CARS WERE HURLED HIGH IN THE AIR; PASSERS-BY WERE KNOCKED DOWN. FLAMES SHOT 100 FT (30 M) INTO THE AIR AS THE GAS CAUGHT FIRE. THE CLOSELY PACKED WOODEN HOUSES LINING THE ROAD WERE GUTTED. THE CONFLAGRATION ENGULFED AN AREA OF 2,400 SQUARE (2,000 SQUARE METRES) AND DESTROYED MORE THAN 30 HOMES BEFORE FIREMEN COULD BRING IT UNDER CONTROL.

PRIME MINISTER EISAKU HAS SENT TOW OF HIS CABINET MINISTERS TO THE DISASTER AREA.

THE EXPLOSION OCCURRED ONLY A FEW HOURS AFTER THE NATIONAL DIET (PARLIAMENT) HAD PASSED A BILL TO STRENGTHEN THE SAFETY OF GAS IN CITIES. JAPAN HAS HAD A NUMBER OF FATAL GAS EXPLOSIONS IN RECENT YEARS, THE WORST OF THEM IN 1965 WHEN 11 PEOPLE WERE KILLED.