Fears tanker blast was bomb attack

AN explosion set a French oil supertanker ablaze off the coast of Yemen yesterday, triggering conflicting explanations of an internal blast and a bomb attack from a small boat.

Yemeni Transport and Marine Affairs Minister Saeed Yafai said one of the ship's tanks had exploded, igniting the fire.

But an official source in Paris said France had strong indications the blast was the result of an attack. French Foreign Ministry spokesman Francois Rivasseau said it was too early to say what had caused the explosion.