Coupled burned in explosion

(CNS):  Two people have been injured in a gas explosion which took place at their home in West Bay on Tuesday night (9 June) because of a missing seal and incorrect connector on a kitchen propane tank. The Fire Service received the 911 call just before 9:00 pm reporting the explosion at a house on the junction of Watercourse Road and Boatswain Bay Road.  Fire fighters aboard a fire tanker and rescue vehicle were dispatched from West Bay Sub Station, and arrived five minutes later.  

 Emergency medical personnel also attended the scene, and treated a man and a woman for burns.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Doorley McLaughlin said the two were then transferred to the Cayman Islands Hospital, where one was admitted for further treatment and the other was treated and released. The two injured persons were tenants occupying the upper section of a six-bedroom, two-storey dwelling. According to officials, initial Fire Service investigations indicate that the probable cause of the explosion was a build up of gas caused by a missing seal on a propane gas-tank connection. In addition, an incorrect connector was being used.

The 20-lbs cylinder was found inside the building, under a two-burner stove.  Fire officials say this is a dangerous and illegal practice, as these tanks should be kept outdoors. The explosion damaged the house’s second storey, which is constructed from wood.

This is the fourth serious, and potentially fatal, kitchen incident this year, McLaughlin said, adding that the Fire Service would be issuing more public advisories about the proper use of gas. He also advised residents to install smoke detectors and gas detectors in their homes.

For more information, or fire-safety tips, contact Fire Services at 949-0077, or Home Gas at 949-9339.