How leaking gas cylinder killed 5 family members in Jigawa

Last week, in Jigawa state, a family lost its five children to gas explosion in their kitchen, in less than two seconds, due to leakage of the cylinder. BAYO MUHAMMAD ALABIRA tells the mind wrenching story
Gas being one of the invisible substance used for various day to day activities by households need to be handled with extra-care, to avoid its devastating consequences that can occur any time when the slightest mistake is made by its users.

They got burnt beyond treatment
Recently, in Sara town in Gwaram local government area of Jigawa state a terrible incident of gas explosion occurred in the house of Alhaji Wada Sara, in which five of his children died having being burnt beyond treatment, and left the family with a devastating impact.
According to Alhaji Sara, the incident occurred on July 6th, 2018 at about 1:30 pm when he was in the shop.
But how did it happened: “They had bath the children ready to go to the Mosque and pray, suddenly, the fire outbreak occurred in less than one second, but before they got out it was too late. That was how they got burnt beyond treatment.”
The names of deceased are: Zainab Wada two years, Fatima Wada three years and Abdulrahman Wada four years, while Abdul Wada and Aliyu Wada died few days after in Dala Hospital, Kano.
In fact it was a bad day for the family as they watch their children in the raging fire in just few seconds. The victims died few hours later after being rushed to Federal Medical Centre Birninkudu and later referred to Dala Hospital Kano state

Leaking gas cylinder
Speaking to our correspondent in a low emotional tune, the father of the deceased, Wada Sara explained that the incident occurred in the kitchen when his oldest son noticed that the gas cooker was leaking and he tried to take it out to tighten it, but before he could say ‘Jack’, it exploded and the fire was all over them in the kitchen even when he tried to save his younger ones from the kitchen by taking them outside it was too late for him and them together, they got serious and damaging burnt all over their body beyond treatment.
Wada said now only his wife remains in Rasheed Shokoni Hospital Dutse. “After the death of the remaining two of my children I had to return my wife back to Rasheed Shokoni Hospital here in Dutse, because all I have, had finished.
“It has all gone to the treatment in the hospital”. He lamented.
The losses: Wada also said apart from the loss of five of his children his house was also touched by the raging fire. Saying apart from the kitchen, part of the house was razed. But the Police Public Relations Officer Abdul Jinjiri, said only the kitchen was affected in the fatal incident.

How to use gas
How to use Gas: However, Abubakar Sabo is one of the gas sellers and refillers in Dutse, the state capital who told our correspondent about the dangers involved in gas while using it in the kitchen during cooking. “Any time the buyer comes to our shop to refill his or her cylinder, we have to educate him or her on how to use it unless the buyer assures us that he or she knows how to use it. Because that works with gas, we know that it is dangerous than the fuel. So we are careful always”.
According to him there are different types of gas cylinders, there are foreign and there are local ones. “The foreign cylinders are good, they are either 5kg or 6kg, one can add 2kg of gas nothing will happen, but the local ones, one has to be careful while using them. They can easily leak and one can only notice the leakage by perceiving the smell of the gas, otherwise there is going to be dangers if the kicking cannot be traced and. tighten up”.

Advice on how Not to use the gas cylinder
He said the user should always take note of the Top-burner to make sure that it it well tighten up and it is not licking. Pointing out that there are two types of top burners, the one with the rubber tube can only carry light bot, not too heavy, while the one with the steel top can only carry any type of not, he said the two are good and are original gas cannot come out of them easily.
He further warned women and children whom he said are mostly users of gas in the kitchen all the times, to always take care, not to open the top- burners of the cooking gas before lighten the matches. That it is always safer to lighten the matches before opening the gas cooker top burner.
Sabo also advised the users that whenever they notice problems or perceive smell coming out from their gas cooker cylinders they should bring it back to them to find out the problems and amend it with the immediate effect, to avoid further incident like the one that happened at Sara recently.
Also, Jinjiri advised all the cooking gas users to always be careful on how they use their untensiles in their kitchens to avoid accidental discharge that may occur through leaking of the invisible substance- gas. He pointed out that any person or persons using it for the first time should make inquiry from those who have the knowledge of it to avoid a bad day.
The PPRO also advised that children should not be allowed to temper with the gas cookers or cylinders. He said people should make sure that adults are always around to monitor the use of the facilities, adding that the facility always have regulator where it has to be adjusted and increase accordingly, to make it usable.
Sad as the incident is, users of gas cooker are advised to be careful while using the utensils in order to remain alive, because any mistake in the course of using it can lead to loss of so lives.

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