Gas
and petrol stations located near residential areas in Vietnamese big cities
continue to threaten locals' health and safety, despite last year's deadly gas
explosions.
Tran Thi Hong, a resident of Ha Noi's Truong
Dinh Street said her family had felt insecure ever since a gas shop opened next
to their house.
"My little niece keeps worrying because
of the clash of gas tankers. We're really scared that they might explode,"
she said.
Hong's fear is shared among many local
residents who live near gas dealers. Only less than two months into the year,
Ha Noi residents have witnessed four gas explosions, killing or injuring 12
people, only half of whom were in the gas shop.
In the meantime, gas shops continue opening in
crowded residential areas or small alleys.
Figures from the Vietnam Gasoline Association
revealed early last month showed about 50 per cent of gas dealers failed to
meet safety requirements and about 30 per cent of consumers were buying
illegally-transferred gas tankers.
Lawyer Nguyen Dinh Khoe from the Ha Noi Bar
Association said to Phap luat & Xa hoi (Law & Society) newspaper that
the current regulation on gas trading ignored important elements of business'
location. Thus, many people dodged the law by trading gas in their own house,
or in residential areas, to make a profit.
Nguyen Van Son, deputy director of Ha Noi
Police's Fire Prevention and Fighting Department, said city police had asked
relevant authorities to review all gas dealers to make sure they met
regulations, including total area of more than 12- sq.m with two doors, which
must be 3m staying away from heat sources and equipped with anti-fire walls.
Any violators would be forced to close down,
he said.
Hazardous
Residents in urban areas of Ha Noi also face a
threat from petrol stations located near households, such as on Giang Vo, Tran
Hung Dao and De La Thanh streets.
"Few stations meet the fire regulations.
They had been built quite a long time ago and they only meet the old
regulations, which have become unsuitable in the city," he said.
Son said the municipal Department of Industry
and Trade had planned to move more than 50 filling stations out of residential
areas by 2020 with a vision to 2030. New places would be introduced to owners
of these petrol stations in the future when the city managed to arrange the
land fund.
News Desk
Viet Nam News
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