LPG cylinder blast at eatery sparks safety concerns

Reflecting the unchecked proliferation of substandard liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, a cylinder explosion at an eatery in Hyderabad on Thursday has once again raised alarms. The blast, which fortunately did not result in any casualties, occurred at a fast food shop in a densely populated and commercial locality near Memon Hospital in downtown City Taluka.

According to Rescue 1122, the fire that followed the explosion engulfed a neighbouring general store. The owner of both the eatery and the general store was identified as Rashid. The reverberation from the blast caused a scare in the area until it became known that no casualties had occurred.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has called for an impartial inquiry to determine responsibility and hold those accountable for the incident.

On May 30, 2024, 27 people, mostly children, lost their lives in a blast at an LPG shop in the Paretabad area, which is located close to the site of this recent explosion. The district administration, under the incumbent Deputy Commissioner Zainul Abedin Memon, had imposed a ban on shops filling and refilling LPG cylinders in violation of the safety standards set by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA).

However, this illegal activity, which also included filling cylinders in taxis, vans, and private cars, appears to have resumed. Rescue 1122 official Roshan Ali informed that they received reports of the explosion around 1:30 am on Thursday. A team was dispatched to the site to extinguish the flames.

MQM-P MPA Nasir Qureshi, who arrived at the scene during the firefighting efforts, condemned the ongoing use of substandard cylinders despite numerous similar incidents, some of which have resulted in fatalities. He urged the provincial government and district administration to take swift action against the illegal practice.

The Deputy Commissioner of Hyderabad blamed the Civil Defence department for the widespread use of substandard cylinders. "We have been doing all we can, but the biggest challenge is the Civil Defence's capacity and seriousness," he said while responding to queries from The Express Tribune.

According to him, he has even requested the replacement of top officials in the department.

He explained that after the May 30, 2024, blast at an LPG shop, the district administration suspended officials found to be complicit and filed 27 FIRs against the shop owners. Over 700 substandard cylinders were seized, and 50 decanting pumps were confiscated and destroyed, he added.

"If we had a capable Civil Defence team, we could have achieved better results," he said. He also informed that a new wave of operations against unlawfully operating LPG shops would begin on April 4.