Ministerial Consultative Committee to meet tomorrow on gas related explosions

An emergency meeting of the Ministerial Consultative Committee on Trade will be held tomorrow to discuss the issue of explosions related to gas cylinders.

The decision was taken following the intervention of Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and Leader of the House Dinesh Gunawardena after the Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa raise the matter in Parliament today.

All officials concerning the issue are to be summoned for the meeting due to commence at 09.00 am while members who are not members of the Committee too have been summoned.

Opposition Leader expressing concerns about the explosions reported said that even today four more incidents had been reported in addition to the 11 incidents reported on the previous day.

The latest incidents were reported from Galle and Moratuwa.

Consumer Affairs Minister Lasantha Alagiyawanna said that a team headed by Prof Shantha Walpolage of the Moratuwa University were conducting a probe and the report will be available this week.

But,  opposition members pointed out that investigations should be hurriedly conducted as it was a matter of national importance.

In all the incidents reported so far though the gas cylinder itself has remained intact the related equipment such as the regulator, hosepipe and the gas cookers have been damaged in addition to other household equipment.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya MP Mujibar Rahuman said that changing the composition of the content in the cylinders which adds pressure to the valves were causing the explosions.

He said according to available reports r the content of the cylinders which had butane 70 per cent and 30 per cent propane has been changed to 50 per cent each of the two gases thereby causing extra pressure in the cylinders.

However, the Litro gas company has been insisting that no change had taken place.

But, Mr Alagiyawanna told Parliament that such change had taken place in April this year, adding that no explosions had taken place at that time.