Rafael wrote:
Modern steel-belted radial tires are unlikely to fail in a catastrophic manner, much less with the amount of energy to destroy a bus like that and cause that much damage.
Tire ruptures are possible when the tire is being pressurized depending on the pressurizing agent's capabilities. Most fililng stations are only capable of instrument air quality pressures. This means the total pressure is low as well as the rate of inflation which is critical to causing tire ruptures. Unless they were filling it from a rigged up set-up like from a pressurized cylinder, this is definitely some sort of really weak cover-up. And in even that case, if the tire was relatively new at all (like made in the last 25 years), tires are designed fail due to overpressurization by delamination of the plies with a subsequent "soft rupture", rather than outright bursting. Tires are strong laterally (and even stronger laterally as the aspect ratio lowers), and the plies provide strength against puncture, but typically are made to be weak against internal pressures to prevent a castrophic failure.
As for an event like a gas line rupture, I'd agree, that's possible. But I think we'd all agree that anyone willing to believe that wants to believe it wasn't a bomb, anyway.
At least make up a good excuse. I would have sooner believed that Emperor Palpatine's reincarnation came down and **** it up with some Force Lightning.
I don't believe them either, but I wouldn't go that far. Thisi is Syria (not Sparta) modern steel-belted radials may or may not be in use, or manufactured to our standards and their gas stations aren't up to our standards. I don't buy the tire story, but I don't think it's totally absurd either.