- MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Millions of Australians deprived of hot water
by a 13-day natural gas shortage in Victoria state celebrated Thursday
by turning on their gas again and enjoying steamy showers.
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- An explosion on Sept. 25 and fires that
took two days to quench damaged the Esso Corp.'s refinery at Longford,
which supplies 98 percent of Victoria's gas demand.
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- Esso has not yet determined the cause
of the disaster, which killed two workers and injured eight.
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- Gas flow to all businesses and industry
was restored Wednesday, and gas distributor VENCorp began to restore service
to 1.4 million households Thursday in what it called the world's biggest
reconnection of gas.
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- The crisis cost $58 million a day, with
150,000 workers temporarily idled. Employees in many industries shut down
by the crisis went back to work Tuesday and Wednesday.
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- Callers to radio station 3AW expressed
their gratitude for the hot water.
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- "I've just rung to say we've got
gas and my 85-year-old grandmother can now have a nice hot shower, instead
of me holding the watering can," a woman said.
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- Victoria state is south of New South
Wales, and Melbourne is about 450 miles southwest of Sydney.
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