Nairobi man dodges death in gas incident

This is my sad story. A narrow escape from death. Me, the whole “plot” and other tenants.

I used to stay with my elder brother in Pangani, but I moved out and left him there.

I have a wife with whom we are expecting a baby later this year. Since these are the last months before she gives birth, she gets tired fast and she is usually uncomfortable while cooking because the gas cylinder is too low.

One of the things I left behind when I moved to Githurai 45 is a single burner gas hob cook-top. I wanted it back. I intended to connect it to the gas cylinder and place it on top of a table so that she cooks while standing as opposed to when she has to bend too low. 

I called my elder brother, Kim informing him that I will take the burner, the hose and the pressure regulator. You know the pressure regulator is normally fitted to the adapter fitting. The adapter fitting comes with the gas cylinder. It is not supposed to come out at any time, other than when the cylinder manufacturer wants to remove it for their own reasons.

He had no objection so I removed the regulator, in essence detaching the portable parts from the gas cylinder.

The gas cylinder was full of gas. Without struggle the “regulator” started opening. There is the little amount of gas that comes out when you are removing the regulator but when fully detached from the adapter, the gas stops coming out. So, when I was opening it, I could hear and smell some gas coming out. I knew, or rather I thought that after I remove the regulator, the adapter will automatically close thus preventing the gas from coming out.

Shock on you! It was the whole adapter that was coming out. Not the regulator alone! There was a loud burst! The house was full of gas. Like mist. It came out with a lot of pressure. At first, I thought it was an explosion. I run outside. I then realized there was no fire as everybody would have expected.

At that moment I informed my neighbours to open their windows and doors, and not to switch lights on or off until much later.

Afterwards I called another neighbor to help me detach the adapter from the regulator so that we could fasten the adapter back to the gas cylinder since the gas was still leaking. Fire could erupt any time but thankfully the exercise was successful and we closed the gas cylinder.

That is how God saved my life. It was at 2.00pm. Miraculously, nobody had fire on. Nobody tried switching lights or even sockets on or off. God is real. Today, Rosewood Residential could be no more. Maybe I could be dead by now. Without seeing my baby! Imagine a gas cylinder full of gas emptying in the house, and no incidences. No casualties. It is a miracle.

I blame the manufacturer company of the type of gas cylinder that was faulty. The adapter at no cost is it supposed to come out, unless they themselves want to remove it. It is not possible for it to be removed with hands like it happened in my case. Everybody is surprised. By now I would be dead and nobody would have known the cause of fire. Only me, maybe.

Let the public be warned of some of the brands in circulation. They are not safe at all. Let us be careful.