It is learnt that Goa Police and Fire and Emergency Service officials officially claimed that leakage of cooking gas from the hose pipe connected to the stove triggered the explosion thereby putting to rest the mystery over the Mapusa blast. Most households use LPG cylinders for cooking purposes. However if necessary precautions are not taken an LPG cylinder could be like a bomb within the four walls of the house. Besides homes, hotels and restaurants, cooking gas is also used by wayside eateries and fast-food joints which are located at crowded places by the beachside and market places. The distributor of gas cylinders needs to see to it that the hose pipes and the cylinders of the consumers are checked regularly by the company officials. It is pertinent to note that every gas cylinder has an “expiry date” which is the date which the cylinder has to be tested, which is painted on the cylinder. Consumers need to know how to read this date. They should not accept cylinders which have crossed the 'due date for testing'.
