February 11, 2008	Monday	Safar 03, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Feb 10: Police are reported to have blamed negligence on the part of Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) for the recent incidents of fire in the residence of Prime Minister Mohammedmian Soomro and in a private school in Islamabad.

Informed sources said that police had been informed by SNGPL officials that the company had stopped mixing odorous oil in natural gas because of which the inhabitants failed to detect gas leaks, leading to loss of lives and property.

The sources said that the company was required under safety rules to add Sulphur mercaptane — a highly odorous additive — to gas supplied by 300 stations across its transmission system to ensure that gas leaks spread an odour and alerted the residents. Sulphur mercaptane is a non-corrosive substance that cannot be absorbed by soil and is, therefore, mixed in natural gas worldwide.

While the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) continues to use the odorant, the SNGPL has neither imported it for the last two years. As a result, it becomes extremely difficult for the inhabitants to feel the leakage, leading to three incidents of fire in the twin cities in recent past.

Six children were killed when a fire broke out in the Roots School in Islamabad. Another fire in a Gwalmandi school injured 16 children.

The sources said that last week’s fire at the F-7/2 residence of the caretaker prime minister had led to a full-fledged inquiry.

Police sources said that during the investigation, SNGPL officials confirmed the odorant was not being mixed in the gas supply system of the company. They informed police that under the rules, 100 per cent odorant should be mixed at 300 stations of the SNGPL to ensure sufficient smell in case of gas leak, but in case of the prime minister’s residence the odorant mixed was just 2.0 per cent.

The sources said that police had suggested to the government that the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources and the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority should launch a full-fledged inquiry and fix responsibility. The Prime Minister’s Secretariat has also been requested to look into the matter to avert such incidents in future.