A tragic incident at a home in Foulis, East Coast Demerara, has left two individuals in critical condition after an explosion early Saturday morning.
Basmatie Ganpat, 55, and her husband Manoo Sookoo, 58, suffered severe burns when an explosion occurred in their kitchen around 5:45 a.m.
They are currently being treated in the Burn Care Unit at the Georgetown Public Hospital. The incident unfolded when the couple went to prepare breakfast in their kitchen, located in the lower flat of their two-story wooden and concrete home.
According to their daughter, Sandyha Goolram, the couple had noticed the smell of gas in the kitchen. Concerned, Sookoo went to open the door to ventilate the area, while Ganpat attempted to turn on the stove. The combination of gas and the ignition from the stove led to a powerful explosion that left the couple badly burned.
Goolram recalled arriving at the scene to find her stepfather already being loaded into an ambulance. Neighbors were helping her mother out of the yard, wrapped in a towel to protect her from the burns. She described how both of her parents’ appearances had drastically changed due to the burns, with their skin turning black from the blast.
Her mother’s hair, nos resembles burnt steel wool. The family later learned from Massy Gas officials that the gas bottles themselves were tested and deemed in good condition. However, it was discovered that the couple had been using a faulty regulator.
Massy Gas representatives clarified that the regulator used was not one of their own, but a Guy-Gas head, which they noted may have contributed to the mishap.
During a visit to the scene, the devastation was apparent. The lower flat, where the kitchen was located, had been destroyed. Concrete walls were shattered, and pillars were damaged, with some completely broken. The roof covering the living room had been blown off, and kitchen equipment and household items were scattered and broken across the area.
Goolram, a single mother, expressed her deep frustration and concern over the incident. She was alarmed by the recent reports of similar issues involving Massy gas cylinders.
Despite some incidents where individuals managed to escape without injury, this explosion had left her mother and stepfather in critical condition, causing her significant emotional distress.
The CEO of Tagman Media, who manages the communications for Massy Gas, responded to the situation by stating that the explosion was not caused by the gas cylinder itself, but rather by the woman’s decision to light the stove while there was a high concentration of gas in the sealed room.
Fire Chief Gregory Wickham also concluded that the stove’s knob had been left on, which allowed gas to accumulate, resulting in the explosion when the stove was ignited
