Many explosions caused by using old gas cylinders in Venezuela

Ms. Leoana Maricuto – Caracas can not forget what happened last week, when she was in the kitchen with her husband and 3-year-old son when the gas cylinder explosion happened, leaving the kitchen in ruins and she was burned. heavy. “The explosion should have claimed the lives of all three of us, but fortunately that didn’t happen,” she said.

However, not everyone is as fortunate as Maricuto’s family. Deaths related to gas cylinder explosions have increased in recent months in Venezuela. It is estimated that of the 15 million gas cylinders being used here, only 20% meet safety standards, many of which are up to 20 years old. Due to the US embargo, the company specializing in providing gas services in Venezuela was unable to maintain the gas cylinders well and had to scale down production.

More than 75% of households in Venezuela are fueled by gas cylinders for cooking.

Anibal Martinez lost four family members in a gas cylinder explosion that destroyed his home last year. The explosion had left scars on his back. He said: “I don’t know how I got out of the wreckage, but when I got out, I could only see the sky, the house was gone.”

In Venezuela, which has the world’s largest crude oil reserves, more than 75% of households are fueled by gas cylinders for cooking fuel. According to energy consultants, gas cylinders need to be tested hydrostatically, i.e. high pressure water is injected to determine if there is a leak, and staff at filling stations can check for leaks. valve with the naked eye.

* Invite readers to watch programs broadcast by Vietnam Television on TV Online and VTVGo!