Probe into gas cylinder accident stepped up

A police investigation into an accident involving a gas cylinder which exploded and killed a man has been stepped up.

On Saturday a 30-year-old technician was hired to move cylinders from the archive section at Dubai Department of Justice. As he was trying to open the tap of the cylinder, it exploded in his face causing him to later die of his injuries.

His colleague was injured in the impact and a janitor inside the building suffered a leg injury.
The manager of the private company responsible for moving the cylinders has been held in police custody for questioning as officers continue their investigations.

Eyewitness of the incident said they had heard a loud blast and saw the cylinder fly out of the room followed by the victim's body.

Abdul Rahim Hussein Ahli, Director of Administrative Affairs at the Department, explained: "The cylinders were filled with a special gas called Halon, used to extinguish fires."

He said that in the event of a fire, a sensor on the cylinder would be automatically activated to spray Halon gas.

The cylinders were inside the archive room but the department decided to relocate the archive section and its cylinders to another office. "We contacted a company which specialises in extinguishing fires to relocate the cylinders. The department had also instructed its workers not to touch the cylinders because it required expert hands to move them," he said.

The department has a contract with a fire extinguishing company that installed the department's systems. "We have routine checks on them. The system is extremely safe. However, Halon gas is no longer used as most of our fire extinguishers spray another type of substance," he added.