Senior Reporter
kevon.felmine@guardian.co.tt
Grieving husband Rakesh George has moved to take legal action over the gas tank explosion that killed his wife, Ria, pushing the long-running tragedy into the courtroom as he demands answers from the National Petroleum Marketing Company (NP) and the Fire Service.
Attorneys Prakash Ramadhar and Ted Roopnarine, representing George, said Justice Kevin Ramcharan appointed him as the representative for claims on his wife’s estate and issued a grant ad litem to bring an action in negligence and any other matter arising from the August 13 explosion that claimed her life.
At a media conference at Ramadhar’s San Fernando chambers yesterday, Ramadhar said requests under the Freedom of Information Act had already been sent to NP, with another to be issued to Chief Fire Officer Andy Hutchinson. They are seeking copies of investigations or, at a minimum, confirmation of when they will be completed.
Ramadhar and Roopnarine said if the findings point to failures, the legal team will act. Although George may be entitled to compensation, he said their actions aim to drive awareness and accountability to prevent future tragedies.
“If NP is cooperative and decides to be forthcoming with the population with respect to what the problems are, then we appreciate that there should be reconciliation and that they would do the right thing. If the report is not to our satisfaction, we will, of course, seek to cooperate and ask for further information,” Roopnarine said.
While Ramco, as a private entity, is not bound under the FOIA, Roopnarine said he believes it will be forthcoming as part of a regulated industry. He added that remedies exist for refusal to cooperate.
As George sat in the law office, a tear ran down his face. Ramadhar said he remains devastated, and it was family and friends who encouraged him to visit the legal team a few days earlier.
On the morning of August 13, Ria rose around 5 am to prepare a meal when the Liquefied Petroleum Gas tank exploded. She and her family endured weeks of pain before she died on September 27. During the media briefing, Ramadhar said they felt it was important that her death did not “go away quietly” and that such a preventable disaster must not recur.
He recalled other victims, Bevaungh Joseph, 28; Racquel Babwah, 44; and Naomi Aliyah Mya De Mille, 19, who died in their homes in similar explosions this year.
Ramadhar said that too often, citizens are blamed for accidents when those who have authority and responsibility wash their hands of it, saying it may very well be that the regulators were not properly installed. Some people argued that if someone smelt gas, they should have known better.
He said no one should consider blaming victims, especially when those responsible for supplying gas have not taken adequate steps to educate the public.
“I had cause to go this morning and look at the regulator attached to my stove at home and realised there is no marking, no brand name on this. There are no numbers. There is no UL Listing on this, any certification from any State agency, any lab, from Cariri, from consumer affairs or anything to say something as crucially important as this.”
He stressed that while he is not blaming regulators for the explosions, they form part of the mechanism that delivers gas to stoves. He questioned whether gas companies, operating for decades, had ever made recommendations on minimum standards.
“I ask the State agencies whether any efforts have been made over the years to ensure that these regulators, if imported, all meet minimum requirements.”
Ramadhar also asked whether companies had taken steps to label gas tanks with safety warnings and instructions for customers who detect gas smells, comparing it to warnings on cigarette packaging.
He warned that thousands of homes faced potential disaster because the public was unaware of these dangers.
