Man injured in gas bottle explosion succumbs
Rabi Sattan, the Kitty resident who sustained burns about his body a little over two months ago in a gas bottle explosion at his Railway Line, Kitty home succumbed to his injuries on Sunday.
Prabhodial Sattan, the dead man’s father yesterday confirmed his death to Stabroek News.
The elder Sattan said that Rabi died around 2pm on Sunday in the Burn Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was admitted since the incident.
The incident had occurred around 5.15 am on September 26, in the bottom flat of the Lot 45 Railway Line, Kitty house, occupied by 39year-old Rabi and his wife, Meera Hemraj, 36.
Meera was also injured and was admitted at the said hospital but she was subsequently discharged. She is currently recovering at home.
On the day of the incident, the couple had just awoken and was in the kitchen when the gas bottle exploded as Meera was about to light the gas stove.
The explosion destroyed most of their bottom flat.
A Guyana Fire Service source had previously informed this newspaper that investigators were able to ascertain that there were two gas bottles in the house at the time the explosion occurred.
The source had said that investigations revealed that while attempting to change the cylinder taps, Rabi experienced some difficulties.
“So he (Rabi) took off the head from that cylinder and place it on another cylinder, which he got through with and (they) attempted to light the stove thereafter. But what he did not know is that the reason why he wasn’t getting the first cylinder to accept the head was because there is a pin that had to be depressed on the cylinder so as to allow the release of gas. That puncher pin apparently was defective”, the source had explained.
The room was enclosed at the time, which caused the environment to become fuel-saturated.
As a result, the explosion occurred, the source had added.