European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 6, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 28 the stars and stripes Friday. May 6,1988 France thanks Iran As 3 hostages return Paris a three freed French hostages returned 10 France thursday after three years of Captivity in Lebanon and Premier Jacques Chirac thanked Iran for intervening to free the French men. He did Normal relations with Iran broken july 17, could be  Interior minister Charles a qua told reporters thai no Money was paid to free the hostages and that France did not negotiate with la captors. But a syrian mediator said France repaid 1670 Mil lion in borrowed Money to Iran and made other compensation to the Kidnap pers. Diplomats Marcel Canon 62, Marcel Fontaine. 45, and journalist Jean Paul Kauffmann 44, arrived Al the military Airport of Villac outlay in a special government Jet. They were freed wednesday evening in Beirut. It s an incredible Day Kauffmann said looking thin but healthy. But it s also a Day which remains overshadowed because we Are jul  Kauffmann then spoke Al length about Michel neural the French researcher captured with him who is believed dead Kaul Matin said earlier thai neural did 10 have been executed by his kidnappers probably died of cancer. I m a Little ashamed to be Here today Kaufmann said. He Hen re called Western hostages being held in Beirut leading that Nightmare  Carton said the three saw other hos tages but did not know who they were. Chirac in a Short address also thanked syrian president Hafez Assad and lebanese military authorities for their help in gaining Freedom for the hos tages who were held by pro iranian extremists. As we All know the liberation of our hostages Falls into the framework of our relations with Iran Chirac said. It the authorities in Tehran who intervened with the captors so thai they free  he said that France had been awaiting the releases for weeks and for  Chirac evoking questions about the Means by which the hostages were freed said the government never ceased to act with dignity and  commentators immediately raised the Issue of a Deal and began speculating about what transpired. Ten French hos tages have been freed since Chirac s government took office in March 1986. There were reports in Beirut idol France agreed 10 repay Iran s fundamentalist rulers the outstanding two third of a in billion loan made by the late Shah Mohammad Racza Pahlavi. A syrian mediator did in Geneva thursday that France finished repaying the loan As part of he Deal it was paid Back in three install ments the last one just very recently onut Adham told the associated  u my information from the French syrians and  Adham. A 41-year-old syrian business Man undertook several mediation mis Sions Over the past two years in which he asked Assad to intervene with Iran for the freeing of he hostages. He said he is certain the French government offered other compensation for the kidnappers though he had no proof. The government expelled Adham from France tuesday. Blaze from Page 1 when the Fife broke our some workers climbed stairs to upper Sites before they were lifted to safely by a Hsk Opter but one Man trapped in a freight of Yator could not get away. \ one of the men was saying car 3 was in flames and he in screaming \ please help " said cleaning supervisor Zora Imamovic. Who heard the Man on her two Way radio As she made her Way to the roof. Firefighters found the body of an unidentified Man after prying open the elevator s doors on the 12th floor about two hours Afler the lire was extinguished Svide said. The building one of the West s tallest skyscrapers did not have a sprinkler sys tem because it was erected before codes required one. Officials said the build ing s fire Yamins system was being up graded when the Blaze hit. Firefighters continued to search for other possible victims. Two More people were brought Down from the 37th floor around 6 . One a Man in his 20s, was reportedly suffering from smoke inhalation. The other per son s identity and injuries were not immediately available. \ broken heat blasted Glass showered Arlo the streets severing fire hoses and fir. Copl. Mike Bowers said firefighters did hot replace the hoses because they also could fit Cut some firefighters landed on the roof by helicopter and worked their Way Down to lower floors. Firefighters searched the floors above the burning in vols for other people fire chief Donald Manning said. One fire official said the Blaze frustrated firefighter because they had to use portable oxygen tanks. We re running out of air real Quick said capt. Steve Gamey. You be got to walk up 15 stories Anil by the Lime you get to the 15th Story you run Oul of air after five minutes. That s no Way to fight a  in addition to the two people from the37th floor 33 people suffered injuries mostly smoke inhalation and were taken to hospitals said Jim Wells a tire department spokesman. Tom Scalia j9, said he was working on a sprinkler system for Cosco fire Protection when the Blaze broke Otto. We were installing sprinklers and they Are not in service Ai said Scalia. Fire inspector de used who has Bee with the depart men years did that although no Darnae estimates were immediately  the Blaze was the worst High rite tire in the history of the nation s spanned tar gust City in terms of severity and damage. Four helicopter with Searchlight swooped around Flie rooftop to locale people and a police department Heli copter lifted 0 people from the roof officers said we am out and we could t see anything but smoke did Radmila a Diflora cleaning woman who escaped. The fire chief said the building contained no sprinkler system because in was built before local tire codes were modified to require them. The water system in the building s standpipe to be used in Case of fire was turned off at in time the fire broke out because it was being upgraded he said. Manning said in was Lucky the fire did not strike during the Day you might have 6,000 or 7,000 peo ple in there Alt trying of exit through heavy smoke. The chances Are we would have had a lot of injuries and a Loi of fatalities Manning said on lbs this morning explosions from Page 1 production co. In the Southern Nevada Community of Henderson. Fire chief Roy Parrish said a body was found about 25 feet from the Entrance to the fuel Plant but All 12 buildings levelled or severely damaged by the blasts had been searched and no other victims were found. The logical conclusion is we won t find any More bodies Parrish said. Everybody has been accounted for with the one  he said the fuel Plant was evacuated seconds before the first explosion a move that May have saved Many lives. There was a Small fire in the Complex. Employees tried to Pul the fire out but in got Oul of i the supervisor then ordered the evacuation did. Most of the employees Hud exiled the by Wing or were in the Foothills around the Plant the Allie first explosion occurred. Seconds later there win a second explosion that completely demolished w building Parrish said. F ij4 people and in. Most had Cut hospitals reported treating at Ifal least four were in critical Condil Rand bruises for flt flying Glass am debris. Others suffered bums Bro Ujj Bones Ort kick. Authorities initial a said Stone person had died and relayed unconfirmed Jep Orti of nine deaths bul offi Cial casualty reports flu Jated until mid evening. All roads to Henderson a town of 54,590 people Midway Between a Vegia and Hoover dam were closed. Emergency workers vurned people away fro the area As a mate billowed a Rota the entire Las vegas Valley. Areat shools were Chi coated and United blood senders of Las vegas appeals for donations. Fircht Titars went House to House he evacuate 20 Blockis the housing development closest to the plantan another residential area in the Wehen portion of thinly where the Loxie Cloud formed a most of Henderson s other residents left vol Clarily. F All residents were allowed Back into their hone by 6p.m., said Gary Bloomquist City manager for Etc com  blasts which levelled the fuel Plant and Ibe Kidd & co. Man Mallow factory next door registered on earthquake seismographs 200 mites away at the California Institute of technology in Pasadena said spokesman Bob finn. The first blast at 11 13 ., measured about 3.0 on the Richter scale of ground motion the second Al 11 57 . Had a magnitude of 3.s. "1 find that absolutely amazing. That is extremely powerful said finn. Joe Hedrick 30, a worker Al the fuel Plant did he heard four explosions Over several menu Les with the fourth sounding the most powerful. Others reported three explosions. Hie smoke was so thick it could choke you said a tearful had Riel who had cuts on his . The fuel Plant manufacture ammonium per chop rate an oxidizer used in fuel for the shuttle s solid rocket boosters bul Nasa said the Accident was not sex peeled to delay resumption of shuttle flights. The explosions followed a fire that began when on of our pieces of equipment malfunctioned a spoke Man said. The fire spread quickly and there Wes an  the blast ripped doors from their hinges broke win Dows and crumpled ceilings in Homes in Green Valley two Miles away did Jack London spokesman at de sen Spring Hospital in Las vegas. Nasa said in Washington that Pacific engineering provides the ammonium perchlorate to Morton Thio Kol Nasa s prime contractor for the motors As Well As to some department of defense programs. Don am Tor a spokesman for Nasa Marshall e flight Center in Huntsville Al said Morton Kol bad enough ammonium Percy Loranc in Supply neat five shuttle Bunches. Under the present Ile the fifth launch would be in mid-19b9. Blast from Page 1 bum. It looks Lik there is something on the ground that is burning. Al does t Wem to bum out said Jimmy Greco doing in a Rodical helicopter 1,000 feel Over Ine so Northe Blaze Aast an eerie Glare across the isthmus be tween the Mississippi River and Lake ,20 Niles upriver from new Oil cans. Thick acrid smoke billowed Over the area looking like inn Der Clouds in the red glow. The Force of the bust blew out windows. The ensure metropolitan area was shaken awake As the milling explosion set off burglar alarms and broke plate Glass windows. Hospital officials did 33 people were injured including at least 19 Community residents. Shell spokes Man Phil Schwin said five people were unaccounted  said damage went into the millions including damage at the main shop and control rooms. A Small fire burned to the distilling unit _ i be never seen so much damage in Norco eve when hurricanes have hit Aid Ikey Lucas director of is. Charles Parish emergency operations. The area from Norco downriver to the Bonnet Carre spillway was ordered evacuated by a special emerged 4. By opera ftps office affecting about 2,800 people officials said. An evacuation Center was set up at do treban High school bul official allowed everyone to return Home after 9 am Cicet those living on the two streets Neil to the refinery. 1"it was very atty loud one Thunder behind the other and it Shook lie House raid one of the evacuees Adam ,"5, who lives lets than a mile from the Plant. I thought Well maybe the russian dropped  the refinery sits in the Middle of the heavily Imp Fri Alin a corridor along the Mississippi Between new or leans and Baton Rouge. Next to it is a Shell chemical Plant which suffered broken windows from Ibe Mast