A great many people are unfortunately facing danger of live ticking-bombs in the form of substandard and outdated LPG gas cylinders across the country. The reports of gas cylinder explosions in the capital city of Dhaka, different metropolitan cities, district towns and even in rural areas in the country are more frequent than race.
Last week’s gas cylinder blast at a house at Kaliakair in Gazipur district, on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka, has left the locals in shock. On Monday four more victims including a child, who suffered burn injuries in the blast have died, raising the death toll from the incident to ten. At least 35 people, including women and children, sustained burn injuries after a gas cylinder exploded on Wednesday evening. We think people’s kitchens become the least safe place in their homes, leaving them to fend for themselves when a blast occurs. So, the number of deaths caused by cooking gas cylinder and stove bursts continued occurring across the country.
It is extremely painful to see the loss of lives due to the frequent cylinder blast in the past few years. Domestic gas cylinder explosions are common in our country, where safety standards are very poor. Reports of fatal accidents from cylinder blasts are frequent and therefore, mass casualties are usual. The Kaliakair tragedy is heart-wrenching.
Apart from houses, there is a looming threat of gas cylinder explosion in residential markets, warehouses or business centres. Several factors may trigger a gas blast and cause fatal damage to human lives and properly.
It is extremely painful to
see the loss of lives
due to the frequent cylinder
blast in the past few years
People should be cautious in using gas cylinder and flammable substances to minimise the risk caused by the modernisation. Modernisation gives us comfort, but it also creates risks. We should be more careful to keep the risk at the minimum level.
Besides, anyone handling gas cylinders, such as by filling, manufacturing, or repairing them, should be properly trained, qualified, and supervised as well as wearing appropriate personal protective equipment. We think it is urgently needed to review preparedness measures for facing disasters alongside launching of a nationwide awareness campaign on repeated incidents of gas cylinder explosion. The users should always check the cylinders by adding high pressures. The users also should do quality checks for valve leakage and the o-ring in the valve which is attached to the regulator.
The authorities show concern for a few days following an incident. But their efforts to address these threats get diminished quickly. The authorities cannot avoid their responsibilities in this regard
All should remain careful and prepared in their houses and offices to face this kind of disaster. Simultaneously, a nationwide awareness campaign has to be launched alongside taking timely measures to minimise damages from the gas cylinder explosion.
We think the government should investigate this “alarming” spate of gas cylinder explosion. Therefore, what exactly could be causing these eruptions? And how worried should we be about the safety of our houses?