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                        <title>The Express Tribune</title>
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                        <description>The Express Tribune keeps you up to date with all the latest happenings from Pakistan and across the world!</description>
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			<title>Eight passengers burn in van fire</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/576903/eight-passengers-burn-in-van-fire</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/576903/eight-passengers-burn-in-van-fire#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 14 Jul 13 19:27:38 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[According to Rescue 1122 officials was caused the explosion by a gas leak.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Eight people sustained burns on Sunday when a passenger van caught fire while being refilled at a CNG station in Layyah. Rescue 1122 officials said a gas leak caused the explosion.


The injured were taken to district headquarters hospital where two of them were reported to be critical, they said. The van had been on its way to Dera Ghazi Khan from Layyah.

In Bahawalpur, the body of a man was recovered on Sunday from Ahmadpur Branch Canal. Rescue 1122 officials said the deceased, Malik Hanif, 38, a resident of Melay Wali Gali, had drowned 20 hours before the body was found.

They said Hanif had gone swimming near Chak-10BC with his friends.

His body, they said, was found floating some 20km downstream. Hanif was a father to five children. He was buried at the Wanjeel graveyard, Melay Wali Gali.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 15th, 2013.]]>
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			<title>Dangerous transport: LHC seeks report on CNG cylinders</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/574271/dangerous-transport-lhc-seeks-report-on-cng-cylinders</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/574271/dangerous-transport-lhc-seeks-report-on-cng-cylinders#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 08 Jul 13 21:39:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[CJ gives October 2 deadline for the report.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Lahore High Court (LHC) Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Monday sought a report about action taken against owners of vehicles using substandard CNG cylinders across the province. He gave the authorities an October 2 deadline to file the report.


The chief justice was hearing a petition filed by Advocate Shahid Ikram Siddiqui seeking a judicial inquiry into the school van accident in Gujrat in which 17 lives were lost.

The chief justice said that there could be no compromise over the security and safety of children.

He directed the Education Department to file a report about details of school vans using substandard gas cylinders.

The CJ told the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) and the police to inform the court about the number of public transport vehicles and motorcycle rickshaws using gas cylinders according to the standards set by OGRA.



Earlier, the petitioner said that six weeks had passed but responsibility for the incident had not been fixed.

A report presented by Gujrat police said that they were taking action against vehicles using substandard gas cylinders. The report said that due to a problem with fuel pipes, the school van had caught fire.

The petitioner said that the Ministry of Petroleum had allowed the use of CNG in commercial vehicles without any planning and policy. He said there were no clear standards for gas equipment in vehicles and no inspection regime.

He alleged that the May 25 school van incident had been caused by the use of sub-standard gas cylinder and use of petrol carried in portable cans.

Siddiqui said it was the duty of the PTA and Traffic DIG to check all commercial vehicles periodically and issue fitness certificates.

He also said motorcycle rickshaws were routinely carrying more passengers than their capacity and this could cause fatal accidents.

He asked the court to stop the use of CNG in commercial vehicles. He also asked the court to stop operations of motorcycle rickshaws till appropriate safety measures could be taken.

He further asked the court to declare rickshaw parking stands at Thokar Niaz Beg illegal

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9th, 2013.]]>
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			<title>Regulation: No CNG for ‘unsafe buses’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/560860/regulation-no-cng-for-unsafe-buses</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/560860/regulation-no-cng-for-unsafe-buses#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 09 Jun 13 00:43:56 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Those vehicles with their CNG cylinders installed under the passenger seat or in the boot will not be given CNG.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[District Coordination Officer Rizwan Mehboob directed owners of CNG stations on Saturday not to supply gas to public transport vehicles failing to comply with the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) regulations.


The notification issued on Friday says those vehicles with their CNG cylinders installed under the passenger seat or in the boot will not be given CNG as these led to fatal accidents.

The civil defence and labour DO’s said they would ensure its compliance.

All buses on routes managed by the Lahore Transport Company are already following the standards.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 9th, 2013.]]>
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			<title>SHC orders removal of gas cylinders, CNG kits by August 23</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/558727/shc-orders-removal-of-gas-cylinders-cng-kits-by-august-23</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/558727/shc-orders-removal-of-gas-cylinders-cng-kits-by-august-23#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 04 Jun 13 15:18:35 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[naeem.sahoutara]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=558727</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Sindh High Court extends deadline for provincial and federal governments to comply with its order.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Tuesday gave another deadline for the federal and provincial governments to take ‘effective’ measures to remove substandard gas cylinders, tanks and CNG kits from public transport vehicles operating across the province.

The concerned officials were further directed by the division bench, headed by Justice Ahmed Ali M Sheikh, to submit compliance reports by August 23.

The order came on a petition filed by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), which had gone to court seeking a ban on installation of substandard gas cylinders, tank and CNG kits in public and private transport vehicles.

“Several people have lost their lives due to the use of substandard gas cylinders in public transport, but the authorities concerned have failed to take action against such traffic violations,” Rana Faizul Hasan, HRCP general secretary, stated in his plea.

He referred to the incident in which two passengers were killed and many others were injured after an explosion in a mini-bus’s gas cylinder at a CNG station in Gulshan-e-Iqbal on November 17.

Hasan implored the court to order that only government-verified cylinders and CNG kits should be used in vehicles to avoid accidents and blasts. The court was also requested to put a stop to decanting of LPG in densely populated areas.

The judges had ordered the concerned authorities in the federal and provincial governments on November 28 to take action in this regard.

On February 13, the court gave the authorities a two week extension in their deadline to comply with the directions or face ‘contempt proceedings’.

On Tuesday, the case was taken up by another bench to see what progress had been made, but it found that nothing had been done despite repeated directions and deadline extensions.]]>
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			<title>Public safety: City govt issues guidelines for CNG, LPG dealers</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/556818/public-safety-city-govt-issues-guidelines-for-cng-lpg-dealers</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/556818/public-safety-city-govt-issues-guidelines-for-cng-lpg-dealers#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 30 May 13 20:59:10 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=556818</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[No more than 10 cylinders may be stored in a shop at a time.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A meeting between CNG and LPG dealers and District Coordination Officer (DCO) Rizwan Mehboob at on Thursday ended with a number of safety directives for the former so that the number of accidents involving CNG and LPG cylinders can be reduced.


Among them was the prohibition on the use of cell phones in the shops.

The government has made it a responsibility of the distributors and shopowners to ensure that their employees know how to operate fire fighting equipment.

According to the safety guidelines issued on Thursday all shops and sales points will have at least two sand buckets and two water buckets. The number of the portable fire extinguishers may be increased according to the size of the stock of LPG in the store.



It has been advised that no shop should have a source of ignition or open flame on the premises.

Cylinders should be stored in such a manner that in the event of an emergency they can be easily moved to an open place.

Stacking filled cylinders on top of one another has been prohibited as has storing cylinders outside the shop. According to the guidelines, no more than 10 cylinders may be stored in a shop at a time.

In addition, shops will no longer be allowed to be set up in basements, on a road less than 20 feet wide or in a residential area. Gas cylinders cannot be sold or stored near welding shops, hotels, restaurants, food stalls, mosques, churches, hospitals, schools, or any other place frequently visited by the public.



All stores and shops will also be required to have proper ventilation so that gas leaked does not accumulate. The shops will also be required to have exhaust fans and all electrical wiring will be underground.

The owners have also been told to make sure that their shops have signs with their names and contact information so that customers can contact them in case of violation of the guidelines.

The meeting was also attended by SP (Security) Abdul Ghaffar Qaisrani, DSP (Security) and assistant commissioner.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 31st, 2013.]]>
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			<title>Unfit gas containers: Traffic police launch drive against violators</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/556209/unfit-gas-containers-traffic-police-launch-drive-against-violators</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/556209/unfit-gas-containers-traffic-police-launch-drive-against-violators#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 29 May 13 20:11:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[APP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=556209</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Campaign has been launched following the tragic incident in Gujrat.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The City Traffic Police (CTP) Rawalpindi have launched a crackdown on public transport vehicles that carry unfit petrol or gas containers.


The drive has been launched following the tragic incident in Gujrat in which 19 school children and a teacher were burnt to death when a school van caught fire due to the explosion of the gas cylinder. The fire appeared to have started when the driver of the dual-fuel vehicle switched from CNG to petrol.



Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Rawalpindi Syed Ishtiaq Hussain Shah has ordered strict action against violators and registration of cases against them.

The CTO said that special squads had been constituted to check public transport vehicles and during the campaign, extra CNG cylinders would be confiscated. He said that if substandard petrol containers were found installed in vehicles, cases would be registered against owners and drivers as well.

He said that traffic police officers had also been directed to ensure that public transport vehicles do not carry petrol in bottles and did not use substandard cylinders.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 30th, 2013.]]>
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			<title>Gujrat Tragedy: Notices issued to city govt, others for 30th</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/555743/gujrat-tragedy-notices-issued-to-city-govt-others-for-30th</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/555743/gujrat-tragedy-notices-issued-to-city-govt-others-for-30th#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 28 May 13 19:45:25 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=555743</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA['Dozens of people died in similar incidents last year'.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Lahore High Court on Tuesday issued notices to the city district government, among others, for May 30 on a petition seeking a judicial inquiry into the Gujrat school van fire in which 17 people lost their lives.


According to the driver, the vehicle caught fire when he switched from gas to petrol. Advocate Shahid Ikram Siddiqui has filed the petition and blamed the government’s inaction when it comes to
sub-standard cylinders for such incidents.

Dozens of people have lost their lives in similar incidents last year as well, he says.

The lawyer said that defective cylinders and unsafe alterations in the mechanical systems of the vehicles were responsible for such explosions.

He said that the government departments concerned were guilty of negligence because they were not performing their duties in accordance with the law.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 29th, 2013.]]>
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			<title>Cylinder blasts: High court again asks Ogra for report</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/502784/cylinder-blasts-high-court-again-asks-ogra-for-report</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/502784/cylinder-blasts-high-court-again-asks-ogra-for-report#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 04 Feb 13 20:33:49 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=502784</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Petitioner seeks better regulation of manufacturers.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Lahore High Court Chief Justice (CJ) on Monday again sought a report from the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) about measures taken to avoid CNG cylinder blasts.


The CJ expressed displeasure over the report not being submitted and directed Ogra to ensure compliance with the order by the next date of hearing on March 13.

Advocate Rana Mehtab had filed a public interest petition in the wake of explosions of CNG cylinders fitted in public transport vehicles. The petitioner submitted that sub-standard cylinders were playing havoc with innocent lives and the government had failed to take any action.

He said defective cylinders were the reason behind the explosions. The lawyer said there were 3.2 million vehicles using CNG and almost 35% of the cylinders were sub-standard. He said that the installation of CNG cylinders by incompetent roadside mechanics was another factor contributing to the blasts.

He said that the government departments concerned were guilty of negligence as they were not checking the quality of cylinders.

He requested that those responsible for the sub-standard cylinder be punished and compensation be given to the victims’ families. He also requested that directions be issued to respondents to take immediate action against these cylinder manufacturers and sub-standard installation workshops.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 5th, 2013.]]>
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				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/502784-LahoreHighCourtLHC-1360009862/502784-LahoreHighCourtLHC-1360009862.JPG" class="featured_image"/>
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			<title>Nowshera: One killed, three wounded in CNG blast</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/496738/nowshera-one-killed-three-wounded-in-cng-blast</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/496738/nowshera-one-killed-three-wounded-in-cng-blast#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 21 Jan 13 01:17:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[jehanzeb.khattak]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[K-P]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=496738</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The gas cylinder was being filled when it exploded.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A man was killed and three others were injured when the gas cylinder of a car exploded at a filling station on GT Road.

Nowshera Kalan police official Mumtaz Khan said a huge explosion was heard at 10am in the vicinity of the police station. The police rushed to the site and found a CNG cylinder had exploded in a car.

The impact of the explosion destroyed the car and injured the three men who were sitting inside, including the son of the gas station owner. The official said the driver of a Suzuki van who had parked his vehicle next to the car was killed on the spot.

“According to a witness, there was an explosion after which the car’s cylinder flew out of the car and hit the van. A stock of CNG kits in the compressor room was also damaged in the explosion, which led to station’s wall being destroyed as well.” said Khan.

The body of the van driver Abdur Rasheed, a resident of Takht Bhai, was shifted to his hometown for burial. Both the damaged vehicles were impounded.

The injured Mehmood Ali Shah, Muhammad Ijaz and Azeem Gul were shifted to a hospital in Peshawar. Till last reports, Shah was in critical condition at the Lady Reading Hospital.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21st, 2013.]]>
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			<title>Flouting rules: Rejected CNG cylinders flood market</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/478704/flouting-rules-rejected-cng-cylinders-flood-market</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/478704/flouting-rules-rejected-cng-cylinders-flood-market#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 11 Dec 12 22:53:40 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[arif.rana]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=478704</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Under safety rules, 6,500 such cylinders were to be confiscated.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Over 6,500 rejected and substandard compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinders, made by Worthington Cylinders Austria, have flooded the market to be installed in vehicles, increasing the risk of fatal explosions and putting the lives of people in danger.


Reliable sources told the Express Investigation Cell (EIC) that the sale of thousands of rejected cylinders imported from Austria is indicative of the apathy of the concerned government departments, in particular the ministry of industries and explosives department. As per the Mineral and Industrial Gases Safety Rules, 2010, the explosives department was supposed to confiscate such cylinders and destroy them to prevent them from being sold in the market for use in vehicles or for storage purposes at CNG stations.

Instead it has shown criminal negligence and ignored the matter for four years, allowing those in possession of the substandard cylinders to continue selling them. Cylinders made by Worthington were rejected in 2008, yet traders have sold the entire stock of 6,500 and are being used in many vehicles.

Despite this, the explosives department has remained mum over the issue and its officials are making relentless efforts to suppress facts over the dangers of these cylinders.



Chief of the explosives department, Hussain Channa sent a statement to the EIC via short messaging service (SMS), showing complete disregard to the facts and figures available in the official record of the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) and the explosives department. Despite around 100 people killed by the use of the outdated cylinders, Channa claimed that not a single cylinder has ever exploded since the introduction of the use of CNG as vehicular fuel.

His statement totally contradicts a number of letters written by his own department to Ogra on the number of CNG cylinders that have exploded, like those in Mandi Bahauddin and Lahore in Punjab and Karachi and Mirpurkhas in Sindh.

“CNG kits [and] not cylinders were a basic cause of explosions in wagons and other vehicles.  The concerned district authorities and secretaries of transport have been asked to stop the installation and illegal conversion of CNG kits,” Channa said in his statement.

After a series of deadly explosions in 2006, Worthington-made CNG cylinders were officially declared substandard and dangerous for storage as well installation in vehicles. A subsequent Petrotech London’s test report also confirmed Pakistan’s official point of view that Worthington-made CNG cylinders did not meet the required standards.



Economic Fuel, a small Islamabad-based trading firm, had imported the 6,500 cylinders in 2006. Since the period in question witnessed a mushrooming growth of the CNG sector in Pakistan, the entire stock was sold in less than one year. By December 2007, the cylinders were available at hundreds of CNG stations for storage. Since 2008, over 100 innocent people have died due to explosions, which occurred at CNG storage facilities and in vehicles.

Ogra officials said all explosions that occurred at CNG stations in Mandi Bahauddin, Karachi and Lahore were caused by Worthington-made CNG cylinders, which resulted in the recalling of the entire stock from the market, besides a ban on importing them.



“We had summoned [the] Dubai-based Austrian diplomat and Worthington Industries’ representatives to Islamabad and conveyed [to] them the government’s decision of recalling Worthington’s substandard cylinders from the market,” a senior Ogra official said.

Ghias Paracha of the CNG association acknowledged that these cylinders had made their entry into the market again. He said the government should take strict action against all those who were responsible for not confiscating and destroying them.

“I know that cylinders which were recalled a few years back are being sold and used in public vehicles,” Paracha concluded.


Published in The Express Tribune, December 12th, 2012.

Correction: An earlier version of this article carried an incorrect stock photo of cylinders. Those cylinders are not used in vehicles. The error is regretted.]]>
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			<title>Cylinder blasts</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/471709/cylinder-blasts</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/471709/cylinder-blasts#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 27 Nov 12 19:27:44 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=471709</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[CNG vehicles should be regularly inspected with some record so authorities, fuel providers can verify kit conditions.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[In 2011, it is estimated that 2,000 people lost their lives across Pakistan in various Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) cylinder explosions, according to a report by the Civil Society Front released earlier this year. Lately, in 2012, we have seen many similar explosions, with the latest one occurring in Lahore on November 26, killing seven people while injuring others. With no abatement in the reporting of such incidents, we must examine safety regulations regarding the use of CNG kits and what measures could be taken to prevent such accidental deaths.

Despite the dangerousness and rise in explosions resulting from CNG cylinders, most public buses still operate on CNG as fuel because it is a cheaper option. Thus, with the rampant use of CNG kits, in both public and private vehicles, it must be evaluated what further measures will actually be effective in saving lives. As the All Pakistan CNG Association proposed in a plan to launch an awareness campaign earlier this year, traffic and other police should be on the lookout for kits that have not recently undergone a safety inspection. Fuel station workers can also aid in encouraging people to have their CNG kits and cylinders inspected regularly by refusing to fill gas if the vehicle has not been recently inspected — something that was also mentioned in the plan though not properly stipulated. Using a coloured sticker of sorts for each inspection period would make the operation smoother as fuel station workers could quickly verify inspection before providing gas.

The issue of preventable accidents due to substandard CNG fittings must be revisited. The regulations set forth in accordance with the ISO-9000 Certified Quality Act, which sets rules regarding the use of a product, include mandatory annual or biannual inspection of CNG kits. For effectiveness, however, these rules have to be enforced. All vehicles equipped with CNG kits should be inspected regularly with some record of proof so that the authorities and fuel service providers can easily verify the safety conditions of the kits, both in public buses and personal vehicles.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 28th, 2012.]]>
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				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/471709-CNGcylinderphotofile-1354043220/471709-CNGcylinderphotofile-1354043220.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>One killed, 5 injured in Karachi cylinder blast</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/467547/one-killed-5-injured-in-karachi-cylinder-blast</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/467547/one-killed-5-injured-in-karachi-cylinder-blast#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 18 Nov 12 05:29:14 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=467547</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The bus was filling gas at a CNG station when the blast occurred.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[One person was killed and five injured when the CNG cylinder of a public bus exploded on the Abul Hasan Ispahani Road on Sunday, reported Express News.

According to police and rescue officials, the bus was filling gas at a CNG station when the blast occurred.

Around 10 people were on board the bus.

The CNG station has been cordoned off while the bus is being escorted to the police station for investigations.

CNG cylinders in vehicles have been the cause of several explosions in the past, taking scores of lives across the country.

The last cylinder blast in Karachi was reported in September which resulted in the death of a 10-year-old boy and injured six people.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/467547-CNGCYLYDERBUR_1735799875/467547-CNGCYLYDERBUR_1735799875.JPG" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Cylinder blast: 1 dead, 7 injured in accident</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/378678/cylinder-blast-1-dead-7-injured-in-accident</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/378678/cylinder-blast-1-dead-7-injured-in-accident#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 14 May 12 15:58:14 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=378678</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[A four year-old girl died when the passenger van she was travelling caught fire following a cylinder blast.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A four-year-old girl died and at least seven were injured as a passenger van caught fire following a cylinder blast near Basti Maluk on Monday, Express News reported. 

The passenger van was on its way to Multan from Lodhran when it caught fire. The driver and the conductor ran away soon after the incident.

The deceased, identified as four-year old Aliza, died on the spot due to burn injuries.

A rescue team reached the area and controlled the fire. The injured have been taken to the Nishtar Hospital, Multan.

According to eye witnesses, the van driver was smoking a cigarette. When he threw away a burning matchstick, after lighting his cigarette, it caused the cylinder to explode.

Police have started investigation into the incident.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/378678-CNGcylinderphotofile-1337010200/378678-CNGcylinderphotofile-1337010200.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Cylinder blast: One dead, four injured in accident</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/376821/cylinder-blast-one-dead-four-injured-in-accident</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/376821/cylinder-blast-one-dead-four-injured-in-accident#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 10 May 12 15:51:00 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=376821</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Explosion took place after gas had accumulated in the house due to a leak in the gas cylinder.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A two-year-old girl died while four others, including three women and a child, received serious burn injuries when a gas cylinder exploded in Jinnah Town, Quetta on Thursday.

According to police, a powerful explosion took place inside the house after gas leaked from a cylinder. The blast injured five people, including two children and three women.

Police and rescue workers rushed to the site and shifted the injured to hospital where the two-year-old Safia Bibi succumbed to her injuries.

Others injured include three-year-old Abdullah along with three women, Sadia Imran, Saira Bibi and Amber Bibi.

Talking to The Express Tribune, a police official, quoting one of the injured, said, “one of the women was lighting an oil stove when the blast occurred.”

According to doctors, the injured were out of danger, with two of the surviving women receiving serious burn injuries.“Two women received serious burn injuries,” doctors said.

Police have started an investigation into the incident.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/376821-stove-1336663578/376821-stove-1336663578.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Another CNG tragedy</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/373621/another-cng-tragedy</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/373621/another-cng-tragedy#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 03 May 12 21:00:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=373621</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Transport vehicles that use low-quality cylinders or not installed them properly, their routes should be cancelled.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The explosion of a CNG cylinder in a school bus in Shiekhupura that killed five teachers and a student says a lot about the lack of government regulation that is responsible for thousands of avoidable deaths. A report released by the Civil Society Front last month revealed that 2,000 people died in gas cylinder explosions in 2011. This is partly due to the fact that cylinders are often of substandard quality and installed in vehicles by untrained workers in unlicensed shops. This is where the government needs to step in. Spot checks need to be conducted to ensure that shops have licensing and that their workers are properly trained. These checks also need to be extended to vehicles, particularly those in public transport. The government should also consider passing a law mandating that only government institutes can install CNG cylinders.

Those public transport vehicles that are using low-quality cylinders or have not had them installed properly should have their routes cancelled. The traffic police would also have to participate in spot check to ensure that vehicles on the road are not a public safety threat. If such measures are not implemented immediately, we can expect many more incidents like the one in Sheikhupura, as well as a definite increase in the number of fatalities in cylinder explosions. A CNG safety campaign also needs to be launched to educate people about the dangers of taking shortcuts. Saving a small sum of money in the short term by installing low-quality gas cylinders is not worth the risk to life and limb.

As for the Sheikupura incident, the authorities owe it to those who lost loved ones to immediately investigate the explosion. This would mean determining if the cylinder was faulty and then finding out where it was installed. The shop that installed it should have its license revoked and be shut down. Its owners should be put on trial for gross negligence. The government needs to get serious about this vital public safety issue. How many more tragedies will have to occur before it takes meaningful action?

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/373621-CNGcyclnder-1336077823/373621-CNGcyclnder-1336077823.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Sheikhupura accident: School van explosion kills 5 teachers, a student</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/373291/sheikhupura-accident-school-van-explosion-kills-5-teachers-a-student</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/373291/sheikhupura-accident-school-van-explosion-kills-5-teachers-a-student#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 03 May 12 04:01:01 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[asad.kharal]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=373291</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[CNG cylinder burst; two teachers, van driver injured.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Five women teachers and a student were killed after a school van’s CNG cylinder exploded in Sheikhupura district on Wednesday.


The cylinder blew up due to a fire which erupted after the fuel tank of the school van had exploded.

The teachers and the student received severe burns in the accident. Five teachers and the student died on the spot while two teachers and a driver were shifted to the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital Sheikhupura for treatment, police officials said.

The deceased teachers have been identified as Nargis, Fauzia, Parveen, Zeeba Iftikhar and Riffat. The identity of the deceased student remains unknown. The two teachers taken to the hospital are Nusrat Shaheen and Sabiha while the driver has been identified as Javed.

The teachers taught at government elementary school Bohar and were returning to their homes in Farooqabad via the Sacha Sauda-Manawala Road according to their daily routine, police said.

The SHO of police station Sadder Farooqabad, Inspector Saleemullah Niazi, while talking to The Express Tribune, blamed the incident on the driver’s negligence in ascertaining the quality and current condition of the CNG cylinder. He added that a case will be registered against the driver for negligence which cost six people their lives.

A Civil Society Front (CSF) report released in April revealed CNG cylinder explosions had caused as many as 2,000 fatalities last year. This figure, the report maintained, was four times the number of people killed in American drone strikes in 2011.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 3rd, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/373291-CNGcylinderphotofile-1336017614/373291-CNGcylinderphotofile-1336017614.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>5 teachers, 1 student killed in CNG cylinder explosion</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/373016/5-female-teachers-1-student-killed-in-cng-cylinder-explosion</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/373016/5-female-teachers-1-student-killed-in-cng-cylinder-explosion#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 02 May 12 10:27:24 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=373016</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The teachers and the student had received severe burns in the accident.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Five female teachers and one student  were killed after a CNG cylinder on a school van exploded in the Sacha Sauda area near Sheikhupura on Wednesday.

The CNG cylinder exploded as a result of a fire which had erupted after the fuel tank of the school van had exploded.

The teachers and the student received severe burns in the accident.

A Civil Society Front (CSF) report released in April had revealed that as many as 2,000 people were killed as a result of CNG cylinder explosions last year.

The report had said that the number of people killed in CNG cylinder explosions was four times greater than the number of people who died in US drone strikes in 2011.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/373016-CNGcylinderphotofile-1335954102/373016-CNGcylinderphotofile-1335954102.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Unexpected Inferno: Gas explosion kills minors</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/363433/unexpected-inferno-gas-explosion-kills-minors</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/363433/unexpected-inferno-gas-explosion-kills-minors#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 12 Apr 12 12:25:06 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=363433</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Rescue sources say that a fire broke out after an explosion caused by leakage from a gas cylinder.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Two children were burnt alive and two others sustained serious burn injuries when a fire broke out in the suburban Pawaka area due to gas leakage early Wednesday morning, officials said.Residents told The Express Tribune that a fire erupted in Wajib Khan’s house during the early hours of the morning killing his sons Shahbaz and Shahzad, while his wife and eight-month-old daughter suffered serious burns. Rescue sources told The Express Tribune that a fire broke out after an explosion caused by leakage from a gas cylinder.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/363433-Newsinbriefx-1334176911/363433-Newsinbriefx-1334176911.JPG" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Death in a cylinder</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/363026/death-in-a-cylinder</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/363026/death-in-a-cylinder#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 11 Apr 12 17:19:03 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=363026</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Few of us realise that more people have been killed in CNG cylinder blasts than in attacks by unmanned US aircraft.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[We hear a great deal about drone attacks; even now the issue remains a top priority for political parties. But there is a small matter — in fact rather a big one — that is too often ignored. Few of us realise that more people have been killed in CNG cylinder blasts than in attacks by the unmanned US aircraft. While that issue has led to protests of every kind, and today threatens our relations with the US, no one seems concerned by the deaths caused by CNG cylinder blasts.

Yet, according to a report released by the Civil Society Front (CSF) of Pakistan, 2,000 people were killed in cylinder blasts in 2011. This, according to the CSF, is four times more than the number killed in drone attacks. Indeed, we do not even know what the actual figure for deaths caused by drone attacks is — with the ever-present possibility that they may have been exaggerated for propaganda reasons. Lack of access to remote tribal areas makes it impossible to estimate what the actual figure is. The CSF has also expressed the apprehension that the figure for cylinder deaths may rise this year, given that nothing at all is being done to direct any kind of official attention to the problem. While deaths in cylinder blasts are regularly reported by the media, the matter has not been taken up as a serious issue or any attempt made to stop them. The CSF deserves credit for its pioneering role in taking up the matter.

To resolve the issue and prevent a death toll which the CSF fears may double over the next year as the number of deaths continues to rise, the organisation has suggested laws to regulate the use of low quality cylinders. This is obviously essential. At the very least we need regulations to prevent the use of sub-standard cylinders in public transport vehicles. Too many people have died as a result of explosions in the vehicles they were travelling in. The issue needs to be taken up before more people are so needlessly killed, simply as a result of administrative indifference and inefficiency.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/363026-cylinderblastPPI-1334164647/363026-cylinderblastPPI-1334164647.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Transport safety: CNG cylinders killed more people than US drones: Report</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/362282/transport-safety-cng-cylinders-killed-more-people-than-us-drones-report</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/362282/transport-safety-cng-cylinders-killed-more-people-than-us-drones-report#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 10 Apr 12 04:24:16 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[aroosa.shaukat]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=362282</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[With 2,000 killed last year, deaths across Pakistan likely to double in 2012.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[As many as 2,000 people died because of CNG cylinder explosions last year, said a Civil Society Front (CSF) report released on Monday.


Terming the danger ‘alarming’, the CSF report said that the deaths were likely double in 2012 as the government has not taken any steps to increase safety.

Addressing a news conference, CSF Director Ayub Munir said the number of people killed in CNG cylinder explosions was four times greater than the number of people who died in US drone strikes in 2011. He said it was unfortunate that the issue of low-quality CNG cylinders never got due attention from the government.

The CSF report also presented 14 measures to increase safety. The report demanded the government to immediately cancel route permits of all public transport which is operating on low-quality CNG cylinders. It further said that the government should set up workshops across the country which should be authorised to issue ‘fitness certificates’ to all vehicles passing a benchmark test of safety. These workshops should paste an RFID (Remote Frequency Identification Tag) on the examined vehicles and the tag should be tamper-proof.

The report also proposed that the Ogra Hydrocarbon Institute of Pakistan should only permit certified CNG workshops to operate. Certificates should only be issued after ensuring a quality control check on the staff and the equipment being used in these workshops.

The government should ensure the abandonment of all unauthorised CNG-kit installing and checking shops, where fake fitness certificates are being issued to consumers, the report suggested. “These shops don’t even have the required CNG kit and cylinder checking equipments.”

Traffic police officials should be authorised to check CNG fitness certificates and RFID issued by a certified testing laboratory to private and commercial vehicles.

“Without the support of the traffic police, implementation of any safety measures against CNG cylinder explosions is impossible,” Munir said.

A complete ban on the use of CNG cylinders in HTV vehicles including buses, mini buses and coaches was also proposed.

Other recommendations included mass-level awareness campaigns to be initiated across Pakistan regarding the significance of the quality of CNG cylinders and the risk associated with low quality ones.

The report further demanded that licenses of gas stations which are not abiding by safety rules, and filling gas in vehicles that do not bear safety certificates, should be revoked.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 10th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/362282-CNGcylinderphotofile-1334002081/362282-CNGcylinderphotofile-1334002081.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Industrial accidents: Fuel blasts leave 2 dead, 5 injured</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/356113/industrial-accidents-fuel-blasts-leave-2-dead-5-injured</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/356113/industrial-accidents-fuel-blasts-leave-2-dead-5-injured#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 28 Mar 12 05:54:48 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[owais.jafri]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=356113</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Three injured are reported to be in a critical condition.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Two people died and at least five were injured in two industrial accidents in Multan and Bhakkar districts on Tuesday.


In Bhakkar, two men died and two were injured when an oil tanker exploded while it was being welded to repair a leak.

Police said Rana Ebaad, the owner of the tanker, had brought it to a welding shop in Adda Jahan after it developed a crack. They said the cargo tank was emptied for repair but some amount of fuel remained inside the tank.

The blast occurred when two workers, Shaukat and Raheem, were inside the tank working on the crack.  Gas accumulated inside the tank and reacted with the electric current that caused that explosion.

Both the workers died on the spot. Ebaad and his son, Yasir, who were standing next to the tank, were also injured. The injured men were taken to the district headquarters hospital.

Doctors treating them said that their condition was critical. They said they may be sent to Nishtar Hospital in Multan or to a hospital in Lahore.

Another blast occurred at an LPG cylinder refilling shop in Mandi Maweshian in Multan. Three men were critically injured in the incident.

Police said Asghar, who had recently set up the shop, and two passers-by were injured when one of the cylinders at the shop exploded due to gas leak.

Some shopkeepers in the market said they had reported the odour of fuel, an indication of a leak, to Asghar. They said he ignored them. They said the smell was getting strong.

Next, they said, he left the shop for lunch. When he returned and opened the shutter, there was a cylinder explosion.

Two passers-by were also injured. The injured were taken to Nishtar Hospital in a Rescue ambulance.

Doctors treating them said that Asghar was in a critical condition. The other two injured men, identified as Aslam and Akram, they said, were out of danger.

Salman, a shopkeeper in the market, told The Express Tribune that the blast was so severe that glass windows of three nearby shops were shattered.

Some residents of a nearby colony said that they also heard the explosion. Some of them said they panicked and rushed out of their houses.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28th, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/356113-TZ__GMETEX_RT_1735799875/356113-TZ__GMETEX_RT_1735799875.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Cylinder blast: Rescue officials control fire in Jhelum</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/354478/cylinder-blast-rescue-officials-control-fire-in-jhelum</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/354478/cylinder-blast-rescue-officials-control-fire-in-jhelum#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sat, 24 Mar 12 08:26:05 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=354478</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Fire erupted after cylinder exploded in the Sohawa district, more than a dozen nearby shops damaged.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Rescue officials managed to extinguish the fire which erupted after a cylinder exploded in a shop in the Sohawa district of Jhelum on Saturday.

The gas cylinder exploded in a cylinder shop on JT Road resulting in a fire which spread out to almost a dozen nearby shops. One after the other, cylinders exploded in the shop, making it difficult for the rescue officials to control the fire.

The incident caused a massive traffic jam on JT Road. However, no one sustained injuries.

According to residents of the area, the cylinders were being filled with gas when the explosion occurred.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/354478-firebrigade-1332577591/354478-firebrigade-1332577591.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Precautions: CNG safety campaign launched</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/352813/precautions-cng-safety-campaign-launched</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/352813/precautions-cng-safety-campaign-launched#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 21 Mar 12 06:00:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category><category><![CDATA[Business]]></category><category><![CDATA[K-P]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=352813</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[CNG kits and cylinders to be checked, substandard parts to be replaced.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[All Pakistan CNG Association (APCNGA) has launched a CNG safety campaign in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa by inspecting vehicles on Tuesday.


“We are thankful to the petroleum ministry for its support which made this possible,” said central chairman of APCNGA Ghiyas Abdullah Paracha said, according to a press statement.

He said that kits and cylinders would be checked and substandard parts and cylinders would be replaced with approved ones.

The location of cylinders would be changed as per rules and a sticker will be affixed on the windscreens of the checked vehicles, Paracha said adding that data of checked vehicles for verification and checking is being gathered in a central data base of the project. HDIP, OGRA and Explosive Department are monitoring the campaign while APCNGA is assisting the project.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 21st, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
			<image>
				    <img src="https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/352813-CNGstrickphotofile-1332309410/352813-CNGstrickphotofile-1332309410.jpg" class="featured_image"/>
            </image>
			</item><item>
			<title>Cylinder blast: Two dead, 16 injured in accident</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/351859/cylinder-blast-two-dead-16-injured-in-accident</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/351859/cylinder-blast-two-dead-16-injured-in-accident#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 18 Mar 12 22:39:04 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=351859</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[FIR registered against driver who has gone into hiding.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Two people died and at least 16 were injured as a passenger van caught fire following a compressed natural gas cylinder blast in Kehror Pakka on Saturday. The deceased were identified as Noor Mai and Ramzan Mai. Noor Mai died on the spot while Ramzan Mai was taken to Bahawal Victoria Hospital near she passed away on Sunday.

The injured were take to Kehror Pakka tehsil headquarters (THQ) hospital where described to be in a critical condition and referred to BVH.

Eight of the injured were discharged at the THQ hospital after they were given first aid.

An FIR has been registered against the driver of the van, Rao Muhammad Amir, under Sections 322, 188 and 285 of the Pakistan Penal Code who has gone into hiding. Saddar station house officer Tahir Ijaz told The Express Tribune that police teams were raiding the area to arrest the suspect. He said progress was expected in tracking him down in a couple of days. Witnesses told the Tribune the van was parked at a roadside when the CNG cylinder exploded and the vehicle caught fire. It was travelling from Kehror Pakka to Nawaahi Waisi village.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 19th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Accident: Five injured in cylinder blast</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/342086/accident-five-injured-in-cylinder-blast</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/342086/accident-five-injured-in-cylinder-blast#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 26 Feb 12 23:17:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=342086</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The LPG cylinder in the family’s kitchen caught fire and exploded following a leak.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Five people including three children were injured in a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinder explosion in Rajana area on Saturday. The injured were identified as Nadeem, his wife Tasneem Bibi, residents of Chak 360-GB, and their children five-year-old Ahad Raza, two-year-old Ruman and seven-year-old Zeeshan. They were taken to Toba Tek Singh district headquarters (DHQ) hospital where doctors treating them described their condition as critical. According to details, the LPG cylinder in the family’s kitchen caught fire and exploded following a leak.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 27th, 2012.

&nbsp;]]>
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			</item><item>
			<title>Road accident: Four dead in CNG cylinder blast</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/338514/road-accident-four-dead-in-cng-cylinder-blast</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/338514/road-accident-four-dead-in-cng-cylinder-blast#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 19 Feb 12 06:15:59 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=338514</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Family was returning from Lahore to their home in Khairpur Sadaat in Ali Pur.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Four people died on Saturday as the compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinder of a car they were travelling in exploded near Shehr Sultan in Muzafarhgarh.

Witnesses were quoted by Jatoi Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Khalid Daha as saying that the cylinder exploded after the car had crashed into an embankment near a bridge over a canal running along the median of the highway.DSP Daha said the victims were dead when police reached the spot. The deceased were identified as Zahid Hussain, his wife Kulsoom Zahid and their children five-year-old Murtaza and two-year-old Mujtaba. Their bodies were sent to a nearby hospital. The DSP said the family was returning from Lahore to their home in Khairpur Sadaat in Ali Pur.  The government had recently launched a drive to examine CNG equipment in public transport vehicles. Saturday’s accident is the first incident of a CNG cylinder blast in a private vehicle.


Published in The Express Tribune, February 19th, 2012.

&nbsp;]]>
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			</item><item>
			<title>Factory collapse: Blast caused by leaking gas cylinders, not boiler</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/336472/factory-collapse-blast-caused-by-leaking-gas-cylinders-not-boiler</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/336472/factory-collapse-blast-caused-by-leaking-gas-cylinders-not-boiler#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 14 Feb 12 21:50:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[anwer.sumra]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=336472</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Punjab government committee says structure was unstable, cases should be registered under Anti-Terrorism Act.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Orient Labs factory on Multan Road that collapsed on February 6 was brought down not by a boiler blast, but by an explosion caused by leaking gas cylinders, according to an inquiry conducted by a four-member committee of the Punjab government.


Twenty six workers, many of them women and children, were killed when the four-storey structure in Hassan Town on Multan Road caved in. Initial reports suggested that the factory, which was located in a residential area, had collapsed due to a boiler blast.

However, the committee found no evidence of a boiler explosion at the factory, said an official privy to the committee’s workings. He said that the committee had inspected the site and recorded witness statements.

The committee’s inquiry report stated that a large number of cylinders filled with oxygen, nitrogen and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) were kept in the factory compound. Gases from these cylinders had leaked and accumulated in the room overnight. Workers arriving at the factory on the morning of the incident had lit a fire for warmth, causing an explosion. The structure was already extremely unstable and the blast caused it to collapse, according to the report.

The committee recommended action against officials of the city government, the Lahore Development Authority (LDA), the Industries, Labour and Environment Departments, and the federal and provincial drug control authorities for extreme criminal negligence under the Anti Terrorist Act as well as departmental proceedings, the official said.

The owners of Orient Labs rented a two-storey house on Multan Road in 1982 and installed a heavy boiler and other machinery to manufacture human and veterinary medicines. Later, the owners built two more brick-and-mud storeys without the approval of the authorities concerned.

The committee’s report stated that the LDA had sealed the factory in 2007 following complaints from nearby residents, but the owner de-sealed it illegally. The last regular inspection took place in December 2002. The city government had directed the owners to shift the factory in 2000, but it did not do so. The LDA should have demolished two floors of the building in line with the Supreme Court’s verdict in the high rise buildings case, but it did not.

The committee recommended that cases be registered against the officials responsible, including the Sabzazar station house officer, under Sections 166 and 167 (for action against public servants), 284 (negligence with regard to a poisonous substance) and 322 (being the cause of a death) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. The investigation of the case should be entrusted to an officer of the rank of superintendent of police.

The committee recommended the creation of a municipal police force in the province’s big cities to ensure implementation of municipal laws. The district coordination officer should be directed to demolish all buildings constructed in violation of bylaws. All factories situated in residential areas should be shifted immediately and a building control agency should be established to enforce town planning and building bylaws.

The owners of the factory should also be charged under the relevant laws against child labour, said the committee’s report. It recommended that the owners pay diyat compensation to the families of the 26 dead and to the injured, in addition to paying compensation to the owners of adjacent buildings which were damaged in the explosion.

About boilers, the committee said that the government should ensure all factories use qualified boiler engineers to check them. Utility companies should be directed to discontinue services and supplies to all factories located in residential areas.

The committee recommended that the Health and Livestock Departments move a reference to the federal government with a request to take action against officials of the federal Drug Regulatory Authority.

The committee, which has presented its report to the chief minister for action, consisted of Home Secretary Shahid Khan, the chairman of the Chief Minister’s Inspection Team, the Lahore commissioner and a deputy inspector general of Punjab Police.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 15th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Cylinder tragedy in Lahore</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332469/cylinder-tragedy-in-lahore</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/332469/cylinder-tragedy-in-lahore#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Mon, 06 Feb 12 19:13:23 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=332469</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Despite a ban, the hazardous process of refilling cylinders continues.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[With severe shortage of natural gas being encountered in Punjab, the use of gas-filled cylinders has become more and more common, both within homes and at places of work. After all, in houses and in factories, life has to be kept running one way or the other. It would appear then that it was the use of such a cylinder that caused a massive explosion on February 6, at a medicine factory on Multan Road in Lahore. Around 100 people are believed to be buried under the debris of the three-storey building, which has collapsed completely. A nearby house has also partially collapse. Rescue workers have succeeded in saving a handful of people, bringing at least six women and two children out from under the rubble — but as the images of the devastated building suggest, it seems certain the death toll will be a high one; even with the use of the modern equipment brought in by the 1122 rescue service, saving the victims appears to be an uphill task.

The precise nature of the incident is, of course, still being examined, though investigators seem convinced a gas cylinder triggered the blast. There have been accidents of similar nature before — in Lahore and elsewhere around the country. CNG kits in vehicles have caused other accidents, again claiming a high toll on lives. It seems quite evident that there is a need for better safety standards — both in the manufacture of cylinders and their use. Despite a ban, the hazardous process of refilling cylinders continues. And, of course, safety mechanisms installed within factories are virtually unknown, with even fire extinguishers being a rarity.

With more attention to safety — and greater value for human lives — it may be possible to avert a significant number of deaths and injuries. The real question to be asked is whether authorities have the will and the commitment required to go about this, both by regulating cylinder manufacture and safety conditions within factories. And if they do not demonstrate this will, then more unfortunate deaths in the future are inevitable.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 7th, 2012.]]>
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			</item><item>
			<title>LPG woes: Cylinder-to-cylinder filling causes explosion</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/330665/lpg-woes-cylinder-to-cylinder-filling-causes-explosion</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/330665/lpg-woes-cylinder-to-cylinder-filling-causes-explosion#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 02 Feb 12 02:36:46 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=330665</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Huge explosion rocked the entire sector after an LPG cylinder shop caught fire following the explosion.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[What was feared to be a terrorist attack on Wednesday turned out to be a Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) cylinder explosion at a shop in Sector G-12.


A huge explosion rocked the entire sector after an LPG cylinder shop located at Mirza Chowk in Sector G-12 caught fire following the explosion, said a Ramna police official.”No one suffered injuries,” he added.

The police suspect that the shop’s owner, Majid Abdur Rehman, was transferring gas from one cylinder to another, causing the shop to fill with gas. Some illegally stored cylinders at the shop were also believed to be leaking.

A short circuit triggered the explosion when the leaking gas caught fire and the cylinders exploded with a bang, said Investigation Officer ASI Shabbir Ahmed.

Rehman, the owner, ran out of the shop to save his life after the short circuit occurred, police said. The police arrived at the scene and called in the fire brigade, which put out the fire after an hour.

The Ramna police registered a case against Rehman for illegally storing locally manufactured LPG cylinders and for cylinder-to-cylinder filing, which is prohibited under the law.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 2nd, 2012.]]>
			</content:encoded>
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			</item><item>
			<title>Cylinder blasts: Court seeks report from OGRA by Feb 28</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/326573/cylinder-blasts-court-seeks-report-from-ogra-by-feb-28</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/326573/cylinder-blasts-court-seeks-report-from-ogra-by-feb-28#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 24 Jan 12 22:42:16 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=326573</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Wants to know what action has been taken against CNG kits’ makers.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Justice Umar Ata Bandial of the Lahore High Court on Tuesday ordered the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) to submit a report about the action the authority has taken against manufacturers of sub-standard CNG cylinders by February 28.


The judge, on December 26, had sought a report from the federal and Punjab governments. When he asked for the reports on Tuesday, Deputy Attorney General Nasim Kashmiri informed him that Ogra was the authority taking action against substandard cylinders’ manufacturers.

Petitioner lawyer Rana Mehtab submitted in court that 44 people had lost their lives in two weeks after substandard cylinders fitted in public transport vehicles exploded.

He submitted that there were 3.2 million vehicles running on CNG and almost 35 per cent of them had sub-standard cylinders.

He said that the government departments concerned were guilty of negligence because they did not check the quality of cylinders. He requested that those responsible for cylinder explosions be punished and compensation be given to the victims’ families. He also requested that directions should be issued to the government for taking immediate action against cylinder manufacturers and sub-standard installation workshops.

The petitioner named chief secretary, Punjab Transport Authority chairman, IGP, petroleum ministry, OGRA, and chief inspector of Explosives and Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan as respondents.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25th, 2012. ]]>
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			<title>Amid an outcry over CNG deaths, a shortage of checking stations</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/323148/amid-an-outcry-over-cng-deaths-a-shortage-of-checking-stations</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/323148/amid-an-outcry-over-cng-deaths-a-shortage-of-checking-stations#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jan 12 22:10:54 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[express]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=323148</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The culprit is not the cylinder but the substandard pipes, say experts.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[People who use compressed natural gas (CNG) in their vehicles must take the responsibility of ensuring the safety of the cylinders and auxiliary equipment as the government alone cannot do much.


Small precautions like checking the manufacturing date, valve at the head of the cylinder and sniffing for any leaks can help avert a major disaster, said Shabbir Suleman of the CNG Association of Pakistan, at a seminar on Tuesday.

“The government has to take steps to educate people,” he said. “More importantly, action has to be taken against roadside vendors who have started selling CNG cylinders and kits.”

Since the price of other alternate fuels has gone up, more cars and public transport vehicles have switched over to CNG, something that has allowed unauthorised dealers to grab a share of the market, he said.

“Owners of CNG-filling stations can’t be expected to check every vehicle that comes in. There are 3.2 million CNG cars and only 3,000 stations. You can imagine the rush.”

The seminar titled ‘Cylinder Suicide Bombers’ organised by Helpline Trust and the National Forum for Environment and Health saw industry representatives defending the use of CNG in vehicles.

The general manager of Landi Renzo, the company that makes CNG kits, Majid Nawaz, said there hasn’t been any reported incident in which a cylinder has burst. “In all cases where people have lost their lives it was due to a leak caused by the use of substandard pipes, which carry the gas from cylinders to the engine.”

He cautioned that unauthorised cylinders, which do not carry the NZS 9494 specification, cannot withstand high pressure of gas, which leaks at the slightest jerk.

More than 23,000 public buses, vans and Suzuki pickups, which are in public transport, have started using CNG without any government body keeping a check on their quality.

A cigarette or matchstick is enough to ignite a cylinder. All the incidents in which people have burnt to death involved public transport vans.

Sindh transport minister, Akhter Jadoon, said the government has not allowed CNG to be used in public transport. “But we know the difficulties being faced by transporters. That’s why we haven’t taken any action.”

The public is also indifferent to its duty, he said. “I know there is just one centre to check CNG cylinders. But no one even goes there.”

The president of the Karachi Transport Ittehad, Irshad Bukhari, said the rising cost of diesel has forced public buses and vans to use CNG. “We did it as a matter of last resort.” He assured of his association’s support to ensure that proper CNG equipment is used in public transport vehicles.

A government ban on the import of CNG cylinders has made it more lucrative to use substandard material, says Naeem Qureshi of the NFEH. “There won’t be a problem for a few months since a lot of cylinders are already in stock. But this could turn ugly.”

He said CNG in cars has become a reality that the government must accept. “On the safety side, the authorities must open up more facilities where CNG cylinders can be checked.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Measures against exploding vehicle cylinders finalised</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/320773/measures-against-exploding-vehicle-cylinders-finalised</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/320773/measures-against-exploding-vehicle-cylinders-finalised#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 13 Jan 12 05:00:26 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[express]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=320773</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Final report will be ready by January 15, after which it will be submitted to the Supreme Court and Interior minister.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[A task force, constituted by the petroleum and natural resources secretary, has finalised its proposals pertaining to the countrywide testing and enforcement regime required to address the menace of exploding cylinders in vehicles.


Chairman of the task force, the joint secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum, held a meeting with all relevant stakeholders on Thursday, in order to finalise the ‘Action Plan’ for countrywide testing of CNG Kits, fittings and cylinders installed in vehicles to ensure public safety and to safeguard lives.

The participants unanimously agreed that only uniform and approved testing equipment will be used for testing at public and private centers, which will operate under government guidelines. Engineers will head all testing centers and staff will be trained diploma holders.

The participants also agreed that a uniform testing fee will be decided by the Oil and Gas Regulation Authority (OGRA), which will be applicable throughout the country for all testing centers. It was decided that cylinders have to be disallowed under seats and in cabins of public transport vehicles.

Testing equipment will be selected by the chief inspector of explosives and HDIP from an approved list of the National Accreditation Council and Pakistan Standards and Quality Authority, the meeting decided.

CNG stations will hire diploma holders to supervise refueling by staff who must be over 18. In the case of conversion centers, engineers will be hired.

Pump operators will implement the mechanism devised by the government to disallow refueling to non-tested vehicles as per their responsibility and license.

RFID chips will be affixed on tested vehicles and scanners will be installed at pumps. A central computerised data base of all vehicles will also be maintained.  Public transport that has high mileage will be tested twice a year, while private vehicles will be tested once a year.

Public Transport will have genuine third party/passenger insurance.

The participants further agreed that necessary amendments will be made to plug loopholes in the existing laws and to empower the traffic police and law enforcement agencies to launch a crackdown on unsafe practices.

The chief inspector of explosives will ensure the seizure of old/expired/non-registered/repaired cylinders, which are all unsafe. Rooftop placement of cylinders is being considered to be allowed subject to shielding, safety and technical advice by OGRA.

The final report will be ready by January 15, after which it will be submitted to the Supreme Court by the petroleum and natural resources secretary and to the interior minister through the OGRA chairman.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 13th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Public safety: CNG stations warn drivers to get cylinders checked</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/318580/public-safety-cng-stations-warn-drivers-to-get-cylinders-checked</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/318580/public-safety-cng-stations-warn-drivers-to-get-cylinders-checked#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 08 Jan 12 21:47:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[rameez.khan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=318580</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Seven per cent of cylinders checked so far have been faulty.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[CNG stations have begun to warn drivers of cars older than five years that under Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) orders, they need a clearance certificate for their CNG cylinders in order to get fuel.


Several drivers said they had been unaware of the OGRA notification stating that CNG stations should not supply fuel to vehicles more than five years old unless they have certification that their cylinders are safe.

They said they had been surprised when told at the CNG station to get their cylinders checked. They said they were able to get Rs100-200 worth of CNG so their cars didn’t come to a halt.

The All Pakistan CNG Association said that stations would not deny cars CNG, as that was the government’s job. Clearance certificates for CNG cylinders need to be renewed every five years.

Boards and banners advising motorists to get their CNG cylinders checked have been displayed at CNG stations. The Hydrocarbon Development Institute of Pakistan (HDIP) at Ghulshan-i-Ravi is the only body authorised by OGRA to check cylinders, but there are three other institutions that issue cylinder clearance certificates in Lahore. These are recognised by the Explosives Department, which is part of the Ministry of Industries.

Engineer Saeed Khan of the HDIP said that the institute had become a lot busier since OGRA issued the instructions. He said that so far, inspectors had found about seven per cent of the cylinders they had checked to be faulty. He said if a cylinder was found to be unfit, it was sawed in half so it could not be reused. He said the HDIP was charging Rs500 to inspect a vehicle cylinder and Rs2,000 to inspect a large storage cylinder kept at CNG stations. He said the HDIP could check about 50 cylinders a day, but was able to check less during times of load shedding.

“We have been warning all drivers to get their cylinders certified or they won’t get CNG,” said Muhammad Akram, manager of a Caltex pump on Wahdat Road. “Many motorists realise the danger and get it checked instantly,” he said.

Adil Khan, a driver waiting his turn at a fuel station, said he appreciated the government’s decision to increase scrutiny following several recent accidents involving CNG cylinders. “Car users should realise that it is for their own safety,” he said.

He said he had had his cylinder checked last week after he heard of the accidents. “I gave it in on Monday and got it back by Wednesday.”

Ghias Paracha, chairman of the All Pakistan CNG Association, said that he was meeting with OGRA officials on Monday and would propose 97 certification centres be set up in Punjab, 18 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 21 in Sindh and three in Balochistan.

“If the plan is approved we will ensure that all certified vehicles are pasted with a special sticker. The sticker could then be verified from a number given by the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority through a mobile message,” he said.

He said that the priority should be to first clear intercity public transport vehicles, then urban commercial transport and finally non-commercial vehicles. He said that the association was educating the public at CNG stations about the importance of getting cylinders checked. “But we will not stop refuelling old cars. That is for the government to check,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 9th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>LPG blasts: Three die, 20 injured in two accidents</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/317735/lpg-blasts-three-die-20-injured-in-two-accidents</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/317735/lpg-blasts-three-die-20-injured-in-two-accidents#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 12 22:01:37 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[shamsul.islam]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=317735</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[An illegal refilling facility, restaurant destroyed by explosion, fire.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Three people including two children were killed and eight others suffered injuries in a blast at an illegally set up liquefied-petroleum-gas cylinder refilling facility near Moj Darya shrine in Jhang on Friday.


Five injured were taken to Allied Hospital where doctors were treating them for burn injuries. Medical superintendent Rana Bashir described their condition as critical and said they were under treatment at the intensive care unit. He identified them as shop owner Ghulam Nabi, Ghulam Rasool, Shahid Shah, Babar Naseer and Nadeem Ashraf.

The remaining three suffered minor injuries for which they were being treated at Jhang district headquarters (DHQ) hospital. Two of the deceased were identified as Taimur and Ikram.

Jhang Saddar police said Nabi had been operating an illegal business of refilling LPG cylinders. They said the suspect did not have a permit needed for running an LPG-cylinder refilling facility. They said only authorised businesses were allowed to refill LPG cylinders.

Police said they would register a case against the owner once he regained consciousness. “The suspect himself is critically injured. We will move to prosecute him once he regains consciousness,” they said.

On Friday, they said, Nabi was decanting LPG when it caught fire, causing an explosion.

Jhang district coordination officer Shahid Niaz said an inquiry has been launched in the incident. He said the government would soon crackdown on such illegal refilling stations in the city. He said the police had been asked to launch an operation to arrest people responsible for running such businesses.

In another incident in Sargodha, 12 people were injured in an LPG cylinder blast at a restaurant on University Road on Friday.  Satellite Town police said three of the injured were identified as Ghulam Abbas, Fazal and Saqlain. They said the LPG cylinder being used in the kitchen of the restaurant caught fire and exploded, injuring all 12 people on the scene.

The injured were taken to Sargodha district headquarters (DHQ) hospital by Rescue 1122 officials. Police said a case had been registered in the incident. APP

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Petroleum Ministry: Task force formed on CNG kits safety</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/317317/petroleum-ministry-task-force-formed-on-cng-kits-safety</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/317317/petroleum-ministry-task-force-formed-on-cng-kits-safety#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jan 12 05:00:40 +0500</pubDate>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=317317</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Task force proposes to check private vehicles annually and public service vehicles every four months.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Petroleum and Natural Resources Secretary has established a ministerial task force to evolve an inspection and enforcement regime for ensuring the safety of CNG kits and cylinders installed in public transport and private vehicles.


The task force has already held detailed meetings with the interior ministry, district administrations, provincial governments, traffic police and various other stakeholders.

The task force has recommended that a refuelling procedure and site safety at CNG pumps be ensured by the explosives chief inspector and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA).

It is proposed that private vehicles be inspected annually and public service vehicles be tested every four months.

Damaged, expired and non-approved cylinders shall be seized by the police and the use of multiple cylinders shall be banned as well, according to the recommendations of the ministerial task force. 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 6th, 2012. ]]>
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