New York rocked by petrol barge blast

ONE man was killed and two people were missing after a barge carrying gasoline exploded off New York's Staten Island yesterday, sending flames and huge clouds of black smoke high into the air.

However, officials in a city already jittery about security said it was an accident.

The blast occurred at 10.10am EST at an oil terminal 16 miles southwest of Manhattan, where residents have been on edge and police on the highest security alert possible since the September 11 attacks destroyed the World Trade Center.