HE RECENT spate of deadly incidents involving gas cylinders must bring the

authorities` attention to a daily hazard many across the country have been forced
to live with. So far this week, 12 people, including five from a single family,
have been killed and several others injured in two separate gas cylinder explosion
incidents. Both occurred in residential buildings: one in Multan, the other in
Quetta.

Unsafe gas storage cylinders seem to be becoming a major cause for the mounting
toll from domestic accidents, yet the issue has not received as much attention from
the authorities as it deserves. Women and children are most at risk because they
are frequently in close proximity to spaces where gas cylinders are used in
households. Tragically, children accounted for most of the dead in the blasts
reported this week.

The onset of Ramazan has increased the risk of deadly blasts, mainly because
unreliable gas supply around sehr and iftar times of ten pushes even more
households to opt for cylinders.

Purchasing gas in pressurised containers helps households ensure that cooking

activities can continue unhindered during peak times, when line gas of ten becomes
unavailable. Given that it is primarily a governmental failure that a large number
of citizens have no access to piped gas, those responsible must at least take
measures to ensure that citizens forced to opt for cylinders do not expose
themselves to avoidable risks. In this regard, a nationwide education campaign
regarding cylinder safety can be launched, and the various Ramazan transmissions
hosted by TV channels can be requested to include warnings for their viewers about
the potential risks of using pressurised gas and what one may do to ensure their
loved ones avoid harm. The unregulated cylinderrefilling industry also needs
tighter monitoring and control, as smaller vendors operate without regard to any
safety protocols.

Gas cylinders are turning into a major health and safety issue, a