Gas cylinder explodes, rips holes in Kitty Home

Panic-stricken tenants of a Kitty residence climbed through windows and kicked open jammed doors on Wednesday after an exploding cooking gas cylinder ripped holes in the building and caused sections to collapse.

A couple who resides in the bottom flat, where the explosion occurred suffered burns and were admitted to hospital. The impact of the explosion caused the ceiling to loosen, grills to blow out, and an entire step to be detached. Kaieteur News understands that the victims are food vendors and may have been cooking at the time of the explosion. One tenant spoke of waking up to a strange heat in his apartment and finding that part of the ceiling had fallen, a wall had collapsed, and the door that was his sole means of escape was jammed. “We had to kick the door down… I had to kick the door down to save myself, and my wife and son,” the tenant identified as ‘Samaroo’ said.

Samaroo has been an occupant of the Kitty residence for nine years. Residents of the upper flat were forced to exit the building through windows. Sitaram, a neighbour, provided a ladder to assist the tenants of the upper flat to climb to safety. He also assisted in dousing the male vendor whose clothes caught fire. The damaged building was divided into four apartments. The explosion destroyed the surrounding walls of the lower flat of the building, as well as furniture and other items within the home. Police are currently investigating the origin of the incident and have taken possession of the gas cylinder. Tenants of this residence are now facing a rather uncertain future as the building is now deemed unsafe. (Kaieteurnews)