KUWAIT: Residents of Ahmadi have expressed grave concern over the possible danger of gas leaks in their home following an explosion in one local resident's home in which his young daughter was injured.

Citizens and expatriates living in the area also pointed out that this was not the first such incident, recalling an explosion nearly a year ago at a local husseiniya (Shiite mosque), which was also caused by faulty pipes used by the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) to supply cooking gas to the facility. With over 1,000 homes in the area, residents have voiced alarm at the possibility of similar incidents taking place.

The Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), KOC's parent company, has admitted that the recent explosion was caused by a problem in the gas pipes' maintenance, although its admission that it had still not traced the source of the leak was less than reassuring for local residents. To date, the only measure taken by the company to deal with the issue has been to cut off the piped gas supply, with residents being issued with gas cylinders for cooking temporarily until the problem is resolved.

The smell of gas is still perceptible in the area, with residents indicating that they had lodged official complaints about the dangers in the past, but no action was taken, reported Al-Qabas. KPC is understood to be forming a committee in cooperation with the Kuwait Fire Services Directorate (KFSD) to investigate the issue in order to repair the leak as quickly as possible and devise strategies to avoid any such incidents taking place in the future. - Kuwait Times