By Shuntel Glasgow
Two persons are now hospitalized in critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital’s Burn Care Unit, following an explosion at their Foulis, East Coast Demerara home on Saturday morning.
The incident, which occurred at about 5:45 am at Lot 194 Fifth Street, Foulis, involved Basmatie Ganpat, 55, and Manoo Sookoo, 58, occupants of the home. They were both severely burned.
In an interview with Stabroek News yesterday, Ganpat’s daughter, Sandyha Goolram, explained that when she arrived at the scene on Saturday morning, her stepfather was already in the ambulance, while neighbours were assisting her mother out of the yard.
Goolram detailed her parents’ account of what transpired when they ventured into the kitchen on Saturday morning. They stated that they could both smell gas in the kitchen, and as a result, her stepfather went to open the door while her mother turned on the stove setting off an explosion.
Goolram said her mother was attempting to use a two-burner, table-top gas stove. She said that while her mother assumed that the knob was probably turned on before use, the regulator was off at the time.
The couple lived in a two-storey wooden and concrete house. The upper flat facilitated the living room and bedroom while the lower flat housed the kitchen.
Goolram said that Ganpat and Sookoo were easily identified after being admitted to the hospital, but their appearances had changed, as their skin had become black. Goolram said that Ganpat’s hair was described as burnt steel wool, and this was a result of the explosion.
According to Goolram, Massy Gas officials informed her that the bottles were tested and proven to be okay. The officials further told the family that the couple had been using a faulty regulator.
“They said that it was a Guy-Gas head and not a Massy regulator,” she revealed.
Stabroek News visited the scene where the incident occurred and found that the lower flat which had housed the kitchen was devastated. The concrete walls were shattered. The pillars had shifted and some were broken. The roof that covered the living room area had blown away. Kitchen equipment, utensils, and other household items were broken.
Goolram, the older of two siblings and a single parent, expressed frustration at the situation. She said that people might have to be fearful for their lives since she had read news of several people reporting similar issues with the Massy gas bottles. While some managed to escape unscathed, her mother and stepfather were hospitalized in a critical condition, Goolram said.
“Mommy just burn and wrap in a pink towel. Since I know mommy using gas stove, is green gas she using all the time. I am depressed and I am a single parent now this happen to mommy. She very critical. She hair burn bad and they get black. The whole house is shaking now,” she said.
Chief Executive Officer of Tagman Media Alex Graham, who manages the communications aspect of Massy Gas, told Stabroek News yesterday that the bottles did not explode and they were in good condition.
“It has nothing to do with us or a gas cylinder exploding. The lady left a burner on, on her stove. \She came down to make breakfast. She and her husband were smelling the gas but she still turned on the fire and boom because they had a concentration of gas in a sealed room,” Graham said.
Fire Chief Gregory Wickham told Stabroek News that the knob of the stove was left on and a high concentration of gas had filled the room. As the woman lit the stove, he concluded, an explosion occurred.
There have been three incidents with Massy cylinders in recent months.
On December 17th, a family in Little Abary, Region Five grappled with the aftermath of a 20-lb Massy gas bottle explosion that rocked their home leaving them without basic necessities, and seeking answers from the supplier.
On November 30th, Stabroek News reported that a life-threatening situation was narrowly avoided in a Better Hope home on November 29 thanks to the quick thinking and calm actions of Necolese Alexander, a career ICU nurse.
On August 29th, Massy Gas said it was ready to aid in the probe of an explosion of a 20-lb cylinder that allegedly belonged to it. The notice referred to an incident at a home on 1st August, 2024. It said that it had visited the family in question and had expressed sympathies to the husband of the occupant who was injured.
To further promote safety, Massy said, it has launched a social media campaign aimed at raising awareness about the safe use of cooking gas. Awareness and adherence to safety practices are critical in preventing incidents and ensuring customer safety, it said. For further assistance, consumers can contact Massy Gas Products at 233-2728 or the hotline 600-0839.