European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 13, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Inside strides d Stennis hailed As Senate career ends Page 3 d . Joins Relief Effort for soviet quake victims. Page 5 d carving out a tradition. Page 14 d super bowl contest ballot sports Page 26 the stars ands ripes auth Theo unofficial publication Fob the . Armed Force Good morning vol. 47, no. 239 tuesday december 13, 1988 i 4 o,u,.m a d 8693 a 78 die As Relief plane crashes by the Washington Post Moscow the Nightmare in soviet Armenia continued sunday us a transport plane loaded with army Rescue workers heading for the earthquake shattered City Ai la Niakan crashed killing 78 persons. The plane an Lyushin-76 cargo Craft reportedly hit a helicopter As it was approaching the Airport at Len Nakon n City of 290,000 in Northwestern Armenia thai was nearly three quarters destroyed by wednesday s quake. The plane crash underscored the tremendous male rial and organizational difficulties facing Rescue work ers with so Many planes arriving with supplies donated from countries around the world and leaving with wounded air traffic above Lenir taiga has been extraordinarily heavy related Story panes after Louring la Niakan and the ruins of the town or Spitak where every building was destroyed by the quake soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev gave a dra Matic interview on the evening news program vre  he consoled the bereaved praised the heroism of Rescue workers and lashed aul Al ethnic nationalists. In my entire life i be never seen one on thousandth of the suffering i be seen Here Gorbachev said before leaving Armenia far Moscow after a two Day Lour of the disaster areas. Of those who would use the dispute Over the con tested Region of Magorno Karabash for their unseemly purposes Gorbachev said everyone must know what kind of people they arc. They arc bursting to seize see plane on Back Page smoke billions from buildings i ambulances Rush victims of fireworks explosion and lire in Mexico City id hospitals. 51 killed As fireworks in Mexico City api fireworks exploded  crowded Street Market sunday setting off other explosion and Starling a fire that spread to five build Ings killing at least 51 people including a East 11 children officials said Salvador Padillo the red Gross com Mander at the scene said at least 43 peo ple were injured but an official on duty at red Cross headquarter put inc num Ber at s3. Two first uhlers a re among the injured officials said. A City Legal official Jesus Sandoval said the fireworks were being sold Ille Gally. ". The first explosion was in a Market stall Sci up in a narrow Street jammed with Christmas shoppers according u a. Red Cross Rescue worker. Fire spread to a two Story building where fireworks also were stored and to another building next door. The shops were All full of pop la another Rescue worker said. After the explosions began an Esti mated 500 people streamed from. The building said Fernando to Minguez who was working in a nearby shoe store at first it sounded like bullets. Then there were More and More and then the explosion Dofflin Gucz said. The narrow Street was crowded Wilh people buying fireworks for the Cefic oration of the Day of the Virgin of Guam. Dalupo on monday. The explosions began with one crate of fireworks said Mario Roberto an Drac who lives next o one of he build Ings that caught fire and was in the Street at the time. He said boxes of fireworks kept exploding Down the Street. Windows shattered throughout the Block. Spent firecrackers charred Wood and comic Hooks twisted Metal and tangles. A High tension wires littered the Street. As smoke billowed from the second floor of one building More than two hours after the fire was reported Al 2 40 p., six Young men on the third floor refused to leave. ". We re staying Here to protect our things one shouted to police if it were your House you d do the  by about 5 p. Most of the fires had been extinguished although smoke con timed. Coming from one floor of an apartment building As darkness fell a Bulldozer began Pio Wing away the rubble. Distraught survivors searched for   residents  ill mayor Manuel Camacho sol is As he walked through the water soaked a Chris of burned Metal Canvas Street stalls did scattered merchandise. A children died Here. , said one Man. Earlier,-yictor.gulicrrez Cruz a Leader of the area s commercial association said it had been protesting the illegal sales of fireworks he complained that people who Don t belong to his group come in and sell fire works without permit during the holidays. These present a great danger to the shops he  attorney Igna Bip Morales be a Latuga said ii is illegal to sell fireworks without a permit. ,. Dod May delay b-2 production los Angeles a the de sense department is on the verge of approving a change in funding that could delay Peak production of the b-2 stealth bomber until the mid to late 1990s, the los Angeles time reported sunday the decision on the $68.5 Bil lion bomber program was to come monday the newspaper said it quoted unidentified Pentagon officials who said the bomber s production schedule clearly will be stretched  the news followed 11 meeting wednesday of the defense re sources Board the Pentagon s senior body for program management we be flattened out production to a More gradual increase than was planned Pentagon office said air Force officials Back the change in production saying it will allow Lime to make improvements suggested during tests the newspaper said. Deputy defense Secretary Wil Liam h. Tall in chairman of wednesday s meeting was expected to read a decision Over the weekend following meetings with department. Officials the times said .-.-. Production plans Call for build ing 132 of the planes. The stealth was unveiled last month when the first plane was rolled out Al North Rop corp s production facility in Palmdale the first bombers costing so million each were to be deliver Edlo the air Force in 1991, with two per month reported to be delivered by 1992. Production rates have been classified. But Tail s decision could push Back Peak production two to three years. Such a change could jeopardize the financial stability of Northrop the bomber s prime contractor. The company already has reduced its labor Force on the bomber from a Peak of 14,0001012,600 employees As word on the possible delay surfaced on Wall Street last week Northrop s Slock dropped from .131,87$ a share to 129.125 on the new York Stock Exchange. "