Explosions and fires are repeated, the authorities fumble. Experts: The gas system is vulnerable and ignored
In the month that has passed since the disastrous explosion in Rahova, 7 other major incidents related to gas (explosions, fires or damage to gas networks, with evacuations or victims) were recorded in Romania, as a result of which 4 people died.
7 major gas incidents occurred in the last month
From Bucharest to Dej, Râmnicu Sărat and Balș, the same story repeats itself: deflagrations, detonations, people injured or killed and a growing sense of insecurity. All the while, no clear measure to prevent the next tragedy.
List of incidents identified in the media in the last 30 days
“What amplifies the frustration is that, although each individual incident has generated a punctual intervention by firefighters, gas distributors and the police, there has not been a firm national response that asks the short fundamental questions: How is it possible that in a country with 3.5 million homes connected to gas there is no clear plan to prevent incidents in the gas sector?”said Dumitru Chisăliță, president of the Intelligent Energy Association (AEI).
The real problem is the absence of far-reaching measures capable of preventing the repetition of these events, he states, emphasizing that “a national program for urgent checking of gas installations in old buildings has not been announced; the issue of mandatory non-operation of automatic gas detectors was not discussed; an integrative report analyzing the common causes of the incidents was not publicly communicated. Without these actions, the reaction of the authorities seems fragmented, lacks vision and insufficient in relation to the seriousness of the situation”.
Explosions can be avoided
At the same time, official communication remained minimal and focused strictly on incidents, i.e. where gas explosions occurred and possibly the number of victims was reported.
“No institution has provided a public synthesis of the risks, and citizens have learned bits of information only from disparate news reports. In the absence of coordinated messaging, citizens are left with the legitimate impression that their safety depends more on luck and their own prudence than on a robust surveillance system.”
The conclusion that must be drawn is that the series of incidents is not a coincidence, but a symptom of a vulnerable system, built on aging infrastructure and a lack of professionalism.
Explosions are not inevitable accidents, but predictable consequences of a lack of systemic action. The real problem is not what was done in each individual case, but what was not done “between cases”: the lack of a firm, coherent national approach to reduce the likelihood of such tragedies becoming a recurring reality.
Until structural measures appear – extended mandatory checks, practical regulations and verification of application, detectors installed en masse, reprofessionalization of institutions and institutional transparency – Romanians will continue to live with the feeling that the risk is omnipresent and the protection insufficient”. said Dumitru Chisăliță.
The President of the Intelligent Energy Association (AEI) proposes to the Government to establish by emergency ordinance the national project “SapăSigur” (a single database of underground natural gas networks, a single number/single portal for notification before any excavation), mandatory for all: individuals, companies, authorities, utility operators.
“Without a “valid” excavation ticket, “stop-work” is resorted to and the application of sanctions. This process immediately reduces the risk of accidentally hitting pipes —
the number one cause of technical incidents and explosions“points out the energy expert.
