• Says gas cylinders are released based on the safety of the cylinder

By Chaturanga Samarawickrama 

Litro Gas Lanka Sales Director Janaka Pathiratne yesterday said that there is no change in the composition of the domestic Liquid Petroleum (LP) gas cylinders. 

Addressing the media, he said all statements being spread are not true, imaginary and baseless.

 “Making false statements will bring embarrassment to the institution, the government, and the six million people. We have been supplying gas to the local market for about 150 years adhering to internationally approved standards, “he said. 

Meanwhile, Litro Gas Lanka Chemical Reaction Engineer Jayantha Basnayake said the LP Gas is a combination of a propane-butane product. The same gas composition for both industry and domestic use has long been tested by an international independent body and certified. 

“The incident at the racecourse was an isolated incident due to a leak in the piping, hose system, or furnace. Since LP gas is heavier than air, it remains on the floor for a long time. An explosion could occur when the elements needed to ignite are added. 

“What happened there was not an explosion of the gas cylinder, but an explosion in the air. The pressure in a gas cylinder is six times higher than the pressure in the gas. That pressure is reduced and delivered through the regulator, and the pressure in the cylinder rarely explodes,”  Mr. Basnayake said. 

He said gas cylinders are released based on the safety of the cylinder. 

An instruction leaflet on this subject contains those facts and the usage guidelines, he said. 

“The SLS 712 air pressure standard is provided by the Sri Lanka Standards Institution. The mixture is made according to the climate of Sri Lanka. This equation varies for India and other developing countries. The composition is produced according to the standards required by our country,” the Chemical Reaction Engineer added. 

• Since LP gas is heavier than air, it remains on the floor for a long time. An explosion could occur when the elements needed to ignite are added