Rescue-1122 has advised the citizens to adopt all possible precautionary measures, particularly during winter to avoid gas explosions.
According to the District Emergency Officer (DEO), Rescue-1122, Rawalpindi Eng. Sibghatullah, the citizens before going to bed should ensure that the room heaters are properly switched off and the gas valve is closed to avoid leakages. The DEO urged the citizens to properly switch off gas appliances before going to bed to avoid risks of fire and casualties.
Eng. Sibghatullah said that people use gas heaters in airtight rooms during the winter season which might lead to death due to the absence of adequate fresh oxygen intake. He said, “There is a need for launching an awareness campaign among the people about safety protocols as every year in winter, there had been reports of casualties due to incidents of gas explosions caused by gas leakage from appliances, mostly from substandard portable gas heaters.” Several gas explosions were reported in different areas of the Rawalpindi district last winter, he added.
The people know little about how to detect gas leakage, what to do in case of fire and how to provide immediate medical assistance to the burn victims before shifting them to a hospital. ‘If there is a smell of gas inside your room or shop, then don’t smoke or light a match, don’t turn on a light, don’t operate any electrical appliance, don’t use a flashlight or lighter and leave the place immediately. The people should turn off the main gas valve, if possible, leave the doors open, and call the gas or Rescue personnel.’
Rescue 1122, DEO, Eng. Sibghat Ullah said the organization’s swift response depends on timely information from people. He requested the people to inform the emergency service immediately in case of any accident or disaster. Rescue 1122’s Command and Control Room in Rawalpindi claimed its timely response to fire incidents in January helped save property and goods worth millions of rupees from being gutted.