VietNamNet Bridge – The widespread practice of illegally refilling and using mini gas cylinders puts users at the risk of suffering serious injuries or worse, according to a report carried by the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper yesterday, May 15.

Gas explosion kills one and injures 12

The report says millions of time bombs are ticking away as authorities are apparently powerless to prevent millions of people from repeatedly reusing old mini gas cylinders that are refilled.

Most of the users such cylinders are students, workers and other low-income residents who find it cheaper and more convenient to exchange.

"Every week, my room with four people needs just three mini cylinders – costing VND6,000 each – to cook," said Xuan Quynh, a student at Thu Duc District.

Mini gas cylinder also popularises in outskirt restaurants.

"We benefit a lot from such cylinders. For a hotpot, we need only VND4,000 for a mini gas cylinder, but if we use dried alcohol, we must spend VND16,000-20,000," said Hung, owner of a restaurant in Binh Tan district's Tan Ky Tan Quy street.

"Every three days, they bring 100 cylinders for me at VND4,000 each. I don't know who they are," Hung said.

A representative of Namilux company, which makes gas stoves, said that they had imported mini gas cylinders from South Korea, but the company does not exchange these and warns clients it is unsafe to use refilled ones.

Nguyen Kha, deputy head of Gas Technical Department, Sai Gon Petro, said that the small gas cylinders requires a strict production process and illegal refilling facilities cannot meet safety requirements.

Meanwhile, illegal gas refilling is easily carried out with a simple tool that costs just VND400,000 (US$20). The tool can refill the mini cylinders from the normal 12kg and 45kg LPB cylinders.

Kha said the refilling of "rusty and old mini cylinders" makes explosions "unavoidable."

A market management official admitted that the practice of illegal refilling of cylinders was widespread and difficult to control because it could be done anywhere.

"The law is that mini gas cylinders cannot be refilled. It leads to a situation that manufacturers don't control and collect the cylinders like they do for the bigger ones," said Le Thi Anh Man, deputy chairwoman of the Viet Nam Gas Association.

"It's time to change the law and ask manufacturers and importers to collect the mini gas cylinders," she said.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News