WARNINGS about the dangers of gas leaks were issued yesterday following an explosion in Rathmines, Dublin, on Monday night in which three people were injured.
Two men and a woman were stable in the burns unit of St James's Hospital following the explosion in a flat at Bessborough Parade at about 9.45 p.m.
A Garda spokesman said the blast was believed to have occurred just as or soon after the three entered the flat. No names or ages were released, although the gardai said the two men had Italian names.
A 30 year old woman injured in a gas explosion in Clonmel, Co Tipperary, last Thursday, was described as comfortable in Cork University Hospital, where she is being treated for burns to the hands and back.
The Rathmines explosion is believed to have been caused by a gas cylinder. The explosion in Clonmel was caused by gas from a mains pipe which may have been damaged. The woman was in a flat above a hardware store.
The house in Rathmines suffered structural damage, while the roof was blown off the building in Clonmel.
Mr Pat Costello, of the National Safety Council, said gas cylinders should be kept outdoors where possible. If being used indoors, the room should be well ventilated. Flexible hosing and couplings should be checked for wear, and each new cylinder checked for leakage.
A spokeswoman for An Bord Gais said the company should be contacted before anyone carried out work which would affect gas pipes. Natural gas, which is odourless, has the substance, mercapton, mixed with it at source to give it a smell.
People who suspect there is a gas leak on their premises should not turn on or off light switches, turn on engines, or light a cigarette. They should contact their gas supplier or An Bord Gais immediately.