Chattogram gas explosion: Stop playing with human lives

The horrific wall collapse due to gas explosion that resulted in deaths of seven people at Patharghata in Chattogram on Sunday was the consequence of nothing but the irresponsibility of the concerned authorities. People are dying and tonnes of resources are wasted in gas explosions one after another across the country, yet the authorities do not seem to have any concern.

The supply lines used in transmitting highly combustible materials like gas must be cent per cent durable, perfect and fault free. The consequences will be dire, if there is a slight defect at any stage. The recent explosion in Patharghata, Chattogram is not the only incident. In Chattogram, as many as 12 people were killed in five blasts that took place from February 2017 to 17 November this year. Many were injured.

The fatal gas explosions are familiar across the country including in the capital city, Dhaka. Incidentally, four people died in gas explosion in 2016, five in 2017, 19 in 2018 and 32 people died this year so far. All these deaths occurred due to faulty lines or carelessness of the users.

In Chattogram incident, Karnaphuli Gas Distribution Ltd (KGDCL) officials claimed no explosion took place in the gas pipeline and gas riser. On the other hand the Chittagong Development Authorities (CDA) claimed the accident might have originated from the septic tank under the building as the building was not built following the building code. Many injured victims, however, said the accident could be originated from match box in the ground floor.

In the mean time, three separate probe bodies were formed by the district administration, KGDCL and CDA to find the reasons behind the explosion. People hardly have any trust on such probes anymore. In most cases, the probe committees try to conceal actual reasons instead of revealing those.

Yet we wish to believe, that will not happen this time. KGDCL has begun examining the riser after the accident. It appears as the doctor came after the patient had died.

Why the KGDCL did not examine gas risers earlier? The same applies to the CDA. The authorities said, the building was not constructed following building code and the accident took place from the unsecured septic tank. The question is why they did not take any actions against the building owner until now?

We hope that the committee set up to investigate in to the gas Patharghata explosion will submit the report on time and it will be made public. At the same time, the authorities will not hesitate to take legal actions against those responsible. Violations of building code by the house owner or irresponsibility of the authorities concerned - whatever might be the reason, the responsible persons should be identified and brought under trial. Otherwise, there will be more such accidents and deaths.

According to newspaper reports, almost 70 per cent of the gas distribution lines in different cities including Dhaka are risk-prone. There are gas lines in the capital itself that are 50 years older. One of the reasons of gas explosions is illegal connection. Although new gas connections have been banned in residential buildings since 2010, building owners take illegal connections with the help of unscrupulous officers and local influentials. Those connections are extremely risky and flawed. The lines cause serious accidents. A few months ago, a slum in Rupnagar, Dhaka was gutted by fire that caused by illegal gas connection. Stringent action should be taken against those who give illegal and dangerous gas connections. Playing with human lives should be stopped.