People fear ‘time bombs’ as gas plant blast claims one life(Update)

Santo Domingo.- One of the people with severe burns from the Tuesday blastin the propane gas station in the sector of Los Rios died on Friday, localmedia report.

Neighborhood Board president Luis Alfredo Arnaud said thedeceased is Eddy D’Oleo, who was a taxi driver.

The news out of the Arias Lora Hospital has shockedresidents in the barrio La Esperanza, who vowed to make sure the of the gas plant remains shuttered.

FILE. Last Tuesday’s blast that leveled the propanegas plant in the Los Rios sector of the capital has unleashed complaints fromthousands of people across the country, who oppose the operations of the “timebombs” from the danger they pose to citizens.

The explosion of the plant owned by Sun Gas left dozensinjured more than 20 people, eight of them with severe burns, and destroyedmore than 40 homes, appliances and other properties valued at tens of millionsof pesos.

Elnuevodiario.com.do reports that homemakers in various sectorsof Greater Santo Domingo express concern from the dozens of gas plants whichoperate without complying with requirements and regulations to ensure publicsafety.

It said most of the gas plants operate less than 50 metersaway from homes and businesses, which dozens of residents call them “time bombs”capable of leveling entire neighborhoods and cause thousands of deaths.