With reference to the news articles published in the Daily Mirror on 25th and 30th November 2021 bearing the headlines “GOVT. ANALYST’S REPORT CONFIRMS GAS EXPLOSIONS DUE TO COMPOSITION CHANGE” and “233 EXPLOSIONS OF DOMESTIC GAS CYLINDERS REPORTED SINCE 2015” the Government Analyst Mr. G. Ramanah has sent the following clarification through the Press Council of Sri Lanka as per the full final settlement at the Inquiry held before the Council.  

1. “The Heading of the news report that appeared on 25th November 2021 in Daily Mirror as “GOVT. ANALYST’S REPORT CONFIRMS GAS EXPLOSIONS DUE TO COMPOSITION CHANGE” was completely wrong and misleading. We would like to categorically state that the Government Analyst’s Department has not issued any report mentioning that the cause of gas explosions were due to changes of the gas composition in LPG cylinders. The only report we issued in November 2021 was related to a fire incident at a restaurant close to the Race Course Grounds, Colombo 07. This report which was issued to the Officer-in-Charge of the Cinnamon Gardens Police, confirmed the causes of explosion as leakage of LP gas inside the restaurant and ignition of leaked LP gas and air mixture by an electric spark.

2. The Highlighted background sentence under the sub heading “GAS CYLINDER EXPLOSIONS” that appeared on the 30th November, 2021 Daily Mirror should be corrected as “The Government Analyst’s Department does not analyse LP gas compositions in gas cylinders”.  

Editor’s Note : The Clarification hereof limited to the heading of the news article published on 25.11.2021 and the subheading in the highlighted part of the news article published on 30.11.2021. The Heading in the news article 25.11.2021 was already clarified on 26th November 2021 Daily Mirror under the heading “We regret the misinterpreted headline”. However the reporters of these news articles stand by their reporting.