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The main design feature that allow a diesel to do this is that no external spark source is required (i.e. spark plugs) to start combustion. Just keep dumping fuel in it and it will keep running, and older diesels will run on just about anything that will combust. Also no butterfly valve to control air flow, so just like you were holding the accelerator pedal to the floor on a gas engine. The injection pump, driven off the engine, can usually also keep pulling enough fuel regardless of if the lift pump does not work (i.e. if you had an electric fuel pump). Basically, no electric powered is required to run these.
With that said, it's unlikely to see this condition on a modern diesel engine with all of the electronic controls.
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