Yemen fears as 78 die in blast
Yemen’s chaos deepened when munitions factory looters set off an accidental explosion that killed at least 78 in an area seized by Islamist militants exploiting the president’s rapidly dwindling power.
The militant seizure of the factory and nearby towns amplified Western fears that the fragile Yemeni state could deteriorate quickly because of President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s stand-off with an opposition coalition of youth groups, military defectors, clerics and tribal leaders calling for his ousting.
