TIRANA, Feb.2 – A powerful gas cylinder explosion on Monday evening left at least 30 people injured, many in critical condition, at a village bar near Pogradec in southeastern Albania. The blast was caused after a gas leak from a defective cylinder came in contact with flames from a wood stove. The majority of the wounded were rushed to Tirana with severe burns to receive a more specialized treatment since the local hospital lacks proper resources.
Nine of the victims are said to have sustained third-degree burns, and were immediately placed under intensive medical care. Meanwhile, the bar owner was arrested on Tuesday for violating safety regulations, while he also faces charges of wounding without intent. According to the Albania’s Technical Inspectorate, there were six gas cylinders in the premises at the time of the explosion with one of the cylinders not meeting safety rules.
Village gas cylinder blast leaves over thirty injured Safety standards in Albania are relatively poor and safety regulations are not strictly enforced. A similar incident was registered last year at a pastry shop in Tirana in which 21 people were wounded as a result of the blast caused by a gas cylinder. Several politicians from both camps were quick to pay a visit to the injured at the hospital in Tirana using the episode as ploy for political gains.
It is not the first time that politicians in the country turn such tragic events into political shows. Instead of taking action so that such events are prevented in the future, lawmakers in the country seem to become more concerned only once the tragedy has already taken place.
