One dead and 4 wounded in gas explosion

One person was killed and four were seriously injured in a major gas explosion on Sunday morning in the stores of the Yemeni Factory for Manufacture of Gas Cylinders, owned by Abdullah al-Mafzer.

General Manager of Civil Defense, Brigadier-Engineer Ismail Abdullah Mohammed, confirmed that the Civil Defense team extinguished the fire but has not discovered the cause of the blast. 10 fire engines and 3 water trunks were required to extinguish the blaze. 

"A committee was formed by the area and the Civil Defense to assess the damage and investigate the cause of the explosion," he stated. The explosion happened in the al-Hashishya area of Sana'a Province, near an army camps.

The explosion was so vast that a large number of firemen worked to extinguish the fire, eyewitness said.

The powerful explosion caused panic amongst the inhabitants of the area. Minister of Interior, Motahar Rashad al-Masri, clarified during his supervision of the extinguishing of the fire that gas leaked and contacted an electric source and led to the explosion. 

"The investigation is still under way to identify the circumstances of the incident," al-Masri stated. He denied that the gas blast is a work of sabotage. 
Al-Masri estimated the 10 percent of the stored cylinders has exploded and he praised the role of the Civil Defense in controlling and extinguishing the fire. 

"The blast happened due to the discharge of some gas cylinders scheduled for maintenance," said Najeeb al-Awaj, Deputy Executive Manager for the Yemeni Company for Gas.

Al-Awaj clarified that during the discharge process, there was a friction between the cylinders that led to sparks and exploded the others. "The incident will not affect the market consumption for gas material, which will meet the needs of the citizens," he confirmed.

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