It’s 9.45pm and I’m not doing much. In fact, I’m almost ready to go to bed. The generator has been turned off to conserve whatever precious petrol is left, as it wasn’t easy to come by this time. Somehow, the shaky voice of David over the phone manages to annihilate whatever plans I have for an early night. I know something terrible has happened.

“Why?” I manage to ask, doing a quick survey of all my friends and family, and who I haven’t spoken to recently.

“It’s Bode. Gas explosion. He’s at LUTH. See you soon bro” Me, Bro? I know this must be serious but I’m relieved, because I also know he’s alive.

It turns out Bode has been admitted with second degree burns from a domestic gas explosion

Cooking gas cylinders are a great relief from kerosene stoves and electric cookers in environments with limited or unpredictable power supply. Some say you haven’t lived if you haven’t blown into the dark rings of a smoking kerosene stove. These cylinders are one of the most common alternative fuel sources in the world, with 33.5million Indian households relying on this cooking appliance in 2011. In modern town planning, the use of these gas cylinders is only replaced by the expansion of town gas into buildings, as seen in Hong Kong and Brazil. When handled correctly, gas cylinders are portable, in abundant supply, convenient and affordable. When not handled correctly, they can cost your life.