Growing safety hazard: Five burnt alive in wagon’s CNG leak

Victims include two children; accident follows a proposed ban on CNG use in public transport.

FAISALABAD: Just as the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) proposed a ban on CNG use in public transport vehicles, at least five passengers, including two children, were burnt alive when a wagon bound for Faisalabad caught fire after a gas leakage. The accident occurred near Khurianwala, after the wagon had departed from Shahkot.

The passenger wagon, carrying 14 people, caught fire when it reached the Khurianwala Saleemi CNG Station. The fire quickly spread through the wagon, leaving the passengers, including the driver and conductor, trapped inside. The passengers who died were burnt beyond recognition.

Rescue workers from a nearby Rescue 1122 station made hectic efforts to save the passengers and were able to pull out nine passengers from the vehicle. All nine were rushed to Faisalabad’s Allied Hospital and three of them are stated to be in critical condition.

District Coordination Officer Naseem Sadiq told the media that an inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident. He also said action would be taken against the installation of faulty CNG kits and cylinders.

Ogra’s letter

As recently as Saturday, Ogra sent a letter to the petroleum secretary proposing a ban on CNG in public vehicles in order to prevent fatal accidents as well as to ease gas shortage and improve gas pressure. The letter recommended that provincial governments take stern action against unauthorised and illegal CNG conversion workshops to ensure public safety.

“Ogra hopes that these measures will help control not only low pressure problems of gas but will also control CNG-related accidents in public transport vehicles and ensure public safety,” it said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2011.