Substandard accessories used in Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinders and other gas cylinders have led to an increasing number of accidents and thus huge damage to properties in the country, stakeholders and experts have said.
Some 65 people were killed and 111 others injured in different accidents relating to gas explosions and others, according to the investigation report prepared by the Department of Explosives (DoE).
A testing centre or point is much-needed to test and check up the standards and quality of the imported LPG and other gas cylinders, stakeholders and experts suggested.
A local regulatory body should also be formed immediately, they added.
The DoE had investigated at least 16 incidents and released places of occurrence, causes behind them, and descriptions of damage from January 2020 to June 2021.
On September 16, 2020, a fire accident from an LPG cylinder at an LPG warehouse in Munshiganj damaged 4000 LPG cylinders, three trucks and a three-wheeler.
Energy specialist Dr Shamsul Hoque said such cylinder accidents could be reduced by ensuring accountability of all concerned regulatory agencies.
Investigating every incident seriously and impartially is also a must to find out those who are truly responsible for cylinder accidents, he said.
Mr Hoque, also a professor at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, also suggested acting legally against those officials whose negligence lead to such accidents.
To this end, law enforcement agencies must be given all-out assistance so that they can collect proper evidence and place them before the court, he said.
The solution or redemption from such dangerous cylinder accidents lies in the lawful action against the responsible government agencies, Dr Hoque believes.
At the same time, he said, stakeholders who have a part in such accidents should also be brought to justice.
Bangladesh Fire Service and Civil Defence’s Director, (Operation & Maintenance) Lt Col Zillur Rahman said most people use time-expired accessories leading to different kinds of accidents.
He said cylinder accessories must be world-standard to protect people and their properties from dangerous hazards.
Consumers must stop using substandard accessories and date date-expired cylinders to avoid related accidents, he said.
Department of Explosives’ Chief Explosives Inspector Abul Kalam Azad said most cylinder accidents occurred due to the rampant use of substandard accessories like hose pipe and regulators in cylinders.
Claiming that no cylinder exploded in those accidents, he said the use of substandard accessories is solely responsible for almost every cylinder accident.
No technical defects were found in LPG or cylinders in those accidents, he argued.
To ensure safety issues, the Department of Explosives is mulling to make an app to create awareness about the quality accessories of LPG and other gas cylinders, Mr Azad said.
He laid emphasis on creating a massive awareness campaign to make the end-level consumers more cautious about the most hazardous practices.
The BSTI is currently not responsible for testing LPG and other gas cylinders, he said.