Uranio sull'aereo caduto a Taipei?

From: Lycos News

L'aereo caduto a Taipei il 31 ottobre 2000 (81 vittime) era un Boeing 747-400, numero di registrazione 9VSPK, compagnia Singapore Airlines, volo Taipei-Los Angeles. Se durante l'incendio dell'aeromobile sono coinvolti i contrappesi all'uranio, è opportuno evacuare la zona e fornire ai soccorritori maschere antigas speciali per impedire l'inalazione di ossidi di uranio.

L'Osservatorio Etico Ambientale denuncia che non è ancora stato reso noto QUALI Boeing 747 hanno uranio utilizzato come contrappeso (almeno 551, secondo la Boeing) e quali no. Non solo, le quantità dichiarate vanno da: 1 kg (Alitalia), 350 Kg (Boeing), 1000 Kg (Nuclear Regulatory Commission), 1500 Kg (Starmet, la ditta che fabbrica i contrappesi in uranio).

L'ultimo incidente in cui è stato ammesso il coinvolgimento di uranio avvenne a Londra il 22 dicembre 1999, era un cargo KAL Boeing 747 diretto a Malpensa che si incendiò ed esplose due minuti dopo il decollo, cadendo presso Great Hallingbury, a pochi chilometri dalla capitale.

I testimoni videro fiamme alte cento metri (Fonte: The Independent, 23 Dicembre 1999).

  (ANSA-AFP-REUTERS) - TAIPEI, 2 NOV - E' salito a 81 morti il bilancio delle vittime della sciagura aerea avvenuta nella notte tra martedi' e mercoledi' allo scalo di Taipei, quando un Boeing 747 delle 'Singapore Airlines' si e' schiantato in fase di decollo. Secondo i dati forniti da uno responsabili delle operazioni, due dei feriti sono morti in ospedale per le gravi ustioni riportate nell' incidente. Attualmente sono ricoverate a Taipei circa 40 persone.

  Dopo la sciagura, i soccorritori hanno recuperato tra le lamiere del volo della 'Singapore Airlines' i corpi di 79 persone. L' aereo trasportava 159 passeggeri e 20 membri dell'equipaggio.

  Cresce la rabbia, intanto, tra i familiari delle vittime per il presunto ritardo con il quale la compagnia da' informazioni sulle possibili cause della sciagura. Questa mattina, a Singapore, il fratello di una donna morta nell' incidente aereo, Tan Yin Leong, ha bruscamente interrotto il portavoce della compagnia aerea mentre stava tenendo una conferenza stampa sulla vicenda in una sala dell' aeroporto Changi di Singapore. ''Dite alla stampa come stanno veramente le cose - ha urlato l' uomo, visibilmente infuriato - Non raccontate altre bugie''. E poi ha aggiunto: ''Cos'e' piu' importante la vita della gente o la reputazione della compagnia aerea?''.(ANSA-REUTERS).

NOE 02/11/2000 04:38

 SIA confirms that flight SQ 006, from Taipei to Los Angeles with 159 passengers and 20 crew on board crashed on the runway during the take-off run yesterday (31 October) at 2318 hours local time at Taipei’s Chiang Kai Shek Airport. The aircraft is a B747-400.

 The flight commander reported hitting an object on the take-off run.

 Rescue operations are in progress. There are 68 people injured and in hospital, with 16 passengers confirmed as not injured. The status of the remaining passengers is still to be confirmed.

 Of the crew, 1 cabin crew member has been hospitalised. The 3 technical crew are not injured.

 We will provide more details as soon as they are available.

The B747-400 aircraft was manufactured in January 1997, and underwent its last maintenance check on 16 September 2000. The aircraft, registration 9VSPK, carried no defects.

 Media are advised to call (65) 540-3070. Next-of-kin should call (65) 542-3311.

                                    * * *
 Issued by Public Affairs Dept at 0200 hours

Wednesday, November 01, 2000

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore Airlines on Thursday declined immediate comment on the possible causes of a crash that killed 79 people in Taipei, as anger grew that the carrier was not giving out enough information.

Airline spokesman Rick Clements was interrupted during a news conference at Singapore's Changi Airport by a distraught relative of one of the people who died in the disaster on Tuesday.

"Tell the press the true story. Don't hide any more," said Tan Yin Leong, whose brother Tan Yip Thong died in the fiery crash.

"Are people's lives more important or SIA's reputation?" a visibly shaken Tan said as his weeping daughter stood behind him.

Clements, who said earlier that details of the crash probe would come from investigators in Taiwan, adjourned the press conference until about 0315 GMT. Security was tightened around the briefing room after Thursday's incident.

Tan's wife Chua Geok Hong burst into a press conference by SIA deputy chairman and chief executive Cheong Choong Kong in Taipei on Wednesday, accusing the airline of being slow to give relatives information about their dead loved ones.

The disaster in Taiwan was the first fatal crash for Singapore Airlines. One person is still listed as missing.

Speculation about the cause has focused on reports of an object on the runway, the possibility the plane took off from the wrong runway and a typhoon that was raging at the time.

Clements discounted the wrong runway theory on Wednesday.

Cheong said in a statement that the airline was keeping its comments to the facts.

"We want to help to get as much information out to everyone as quickly as possible and we appreciate the important role the media plays to keep everyone well informed," he said.

"That is why you will hear me talking about the facts. It is important that we stick to the facts. Speculation on theories cannot do anything to help anyone."

Singapore Airlines, one of Asia's most profitable and cash-rich carriers, ranks 11th in the world in terms of passenger traffic.