This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/6493557.stm

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Koran riot grips Yemeni gas plant Koran riot grips Yemeni gas plant
(about 2 hours later)
Security forces have been called in to tackle riots at a Yemen gas plant where a copy of the Koran is said to have been desecrated, security sources say.Security forces have been called in to tackle riots at a Yemen gas plant where a copy of the Koran is said to have been desecrated, security sources say.
Unrest began after a French engineer at the terminal in the south-eastern port of Belhaf allegedly "defiled" the book.Unrest began after a French engineer at the terminal in the south-eastern port of Belhaf allegedly "defiled" the book.
Hundreds of rioting workers burnt cars and a helicopter at the French-run facility, sources told Reuters. Hundreds of rioting workers burnt cars and a helicopter at the French-run facility, sources told news agencies.
The engineer was evacuated and one rioter was killed, according to an unconfirmed report by AFP news agency. Unconfirmed reports say four Yemenis and a Frenchman were injured in the unrest and the engineer was evacuated.
"After a fight between a French engineer and another who is Yemeni, the Frenchman - to enrage the Yemeni - threw a Koran on the floor in an offensive way," a local official told AFP, requesting anonymity. Yemen LNG, which is partly owned by the Yemeni government, confirmed that clashes had taken place but only spoke of "undefined damage", according to a press release reported by The Associated Press.
French energy giant Total TOTF.PA leads the liquefied natural gas project in Belhaf. "After a fight between a French engineer and another who is Yemeni, the Frenchman - to enrage the Yemeni - threw a Koran on the floor in an offensive way," a local official told AFP news agency, requesting anonymity.
It is due to start by the end of 2008 with two trains and should produce 6.7 million metric tonnes a year. The same agency said earlier that a Yemeni had been killed in the unrest.
Yemen LNG is both building the Belhaf terminal, a natural gas liquefaction plant, and a 320-km (199-mile) pipeline to connect it to gas processing facilities located farther inland.
French energy giant Total is the leading foreign partner in the project.