THIS is apropos the two reports, “Two killed in bus cylinder blast” and “Cylinder blast kills three in Peshawar” (July 22).The incidents remind one of the heart-breaking mishap last year in Gujrat that continues to haunt us in which 17 schoolchildren died when their school van caught fire as a result of gas leakage from a defective cylinder.

The incident could have been avoided had the complaints made earlier regarding the substandard gas cylinders in vehicles not gone unheeded by the authorities concerned.

Sadly, cylinder blast-related incidents have become routine, resulting in loss of human lives. The recent casualties due to CNG cylinder blasts in Karachi and Peshawar serve as a grim reminder of the inaction and indifference of the people at the helm of affairs. They need to realise that the menace is growing.

It’s time the authorities concerned rose to the occasion and took effective steps to avoid the recurrence of such incidents.

Khadim Hussain Subhpoto

Hyderabad

Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2014