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ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER 1 March 2014 29 Rabial II 1435 - Volume 18 Number 5990 Price: QR2 ON SATURDAY 10 still in hospital after restaurant blast DOHA: Ten of those injured in Thursday’s blast at a restaurant are still undergoing treatment at Hamad Medical Corporation hospitals, with two sent to Al Wakra Hospital to receive specialist care at the centre for burns there, and another transferred to Rumaila hospital. The HMC had received 36 injured on Thursday following an explosion in a gas tank at a Turkish restaurant, and 20 of them were discharged the same evening after receiving the necessary medical care. Another six were discharged yesterday after their condition improved, said Ali Khater, Executive Director of Corporate Communications at HMC. All the injured had suffered medium or minor injuries, except one person who was still in a critical condition, said Al Khater. The 10 still hospitalised include one Egyptian, one Indian, three Nepalese, three Pakistanis, and two Filipinos. The authorities, meanwhile, have sealed off the site of the explosion with a fence until the completion of investigation. SNC to rejoin Syrian opposition coalition BEIRUT: The opposition Syrian National Council yesterday said it will rejoin the umbrella coalition from which it withdrew in protest at the Geneva peace talks with the regime. The SNC, the biggest bloc in Syria’s opposition-in-exile, quit the National Coalition on January 20 because of its participation in the talks. Yesterday, the group said it had decided “on the return of the SNC bloc and all its components to the ranks of the ... Coalition,” at a two-day meeting of its general assembly in Istanbul. All suspects in Turkey probe freed ISTANBUL: A Turkish court yes- terday released the last five suspects, including the sons of two ministers, detained in a corruption probe that has struck at the heart of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government. THE ISSUE Baris Guler, the son of the former inte- rior minister, as well as Kaan Caglayan, the son of the ex-economy minister, and Azerbaijani businessman Reza Zarrab The blast at a Turkish restaurant produced results. What is now needed is a resident who did not want to be identified. were among the remaining accused freed in Doha on Thursday that killed similar action on safety at petrol stations and There is cause for worry because petrol pending trial, local media reported. in the use and handling of gas. stations in the recent past have been sites of The private NTV channel said an 11 people has again set off a Chances are that the authorities will wake minor accidents. A filling station on C Ring Design: Abraham Augusthy Istanbul court made the decision because debate on safety. On the one up to the public demands. Safety at petrol Road recently witnessed the caving in of its the necessary evidence had been collected. hand, there are furious calls for stations is no new issue, but one which has floor, as did another one near the Mall. Some The five were also given a travel ban. been raised by experts and people at various of the old petrol stations are potential bombs See also page 8 implementation of more stringent levels. “We have been discussing the issue of in terms of safety. The blistering heat during rules to ensure safety, and on the relocating restaurants and cafeterias from summer in Qatar complicates the problems. Armed men seize other, there are demands for a petrol stations over the last couple of years, At the same time, the authorities should but without any results. They must be given not resort to over-regulation which will two Crimea airports balanced reaction. a time frame to move to other places,” says make the running of these establishments Sheikha Al Jefairi, a member of the Central extremely tough. The government needs to SIMFEROPOL: Armed men took con- hursday’s accident is the worst in Municipal Council. set up a committee with experts from sev- trol of two airports in the Crimea region the country after the Villaggio fire, All over the world, petrol filling stations eral fields to study safety at the fuel sta- yesterday in what the new Ukrainian which killed 19 people, mostly nurs- are considered hazardous working places tions and this committee needs to look into leadership described as an invasion by Tery children. After the fire, the civil which require special licensing. “It’s strange international standards and practices in this Moscow’s forces, and ousted President defence department made a rigorous assess- that some petrol stations in Qatar are used field and also the measures adopted by our Viktor Yanukovich surfaced in Russia ment of fire safety standards in the country as shopping markets. For example, take a neighbouring countries, which are operating after a week on the run. Yanukovich PAGEand the result was 6 strict implementation fire look at the Abu Hamour Petrol Station. It’s in the same climatic conditions. That will said Russia should use all means at its safety laws and a nationwide crackdown on a mini shopping-cum-restaurant complex be a far more sensible step than individual disposal to stop the chaos in Ukraine as companies and establishments flouting rules. where there are all kinds of shops. Any acci- departments formulating rules on their own. tension rose on the Black Sea peninsula. There is no doubt that those measures have dent or blast there will be disastrous,” said a See also page 2 See also page 10 THE PENINSULA & AGENCIES www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 02 MARCH 1, 2014 ON SATURDAY www.thepeninsulaqatar.com Home Natural gas safer than LPG Pics: Abdul Basit & Kammutty VP Opinion divided over eateries at fuel stations; implementation of laws said to be lax BY MOHAMMAD SHOEB UDC and Ezdan, provide piped activities, including restaurants safety and security equipment.” gas in their housing complexes, and cafeterias, which use large Eateries operating from their DOHA: The safety of gas but a wide network for piped volumes of LPG 24 hours, posing premises apart, the condition cylinders, gas tanks and fuel natural gas is needed, said the a great danger,” said Ahmad Al of some of the private petrol stations is under scrutiny engineer. Sheeb, a CMC member. stations in Doha, especially Location of fuel after the explosion behind After Thursday’s incident, He called on the authorities the older ones, is not very Landmark Mall on Thursday several netizens, including to stop giving licences for such encouraging. stations ‘skewed’ that claimed 11 lives and left members of the Central outlets. Last year, an explosion in 35 people injured. Municipal Council (CMC), Sheikh Al Jaferi, another an underground tank at Al Experts suggest that the wrote on social networking sites member of the civic body, said: Andalus Petrol Station on use of liquefied petroleum gas about the potential dangers of All LPG cylinders, “We have been discussing the C-Ring Road caused the ground irst of all, petrol sta- (LPG) instead of piped natural using LPG cylinders and tanks even the transparent issue of relocating restaurants to cave in, leading to panic in tions should be located gas, which is safer and more at commercial establishments, non-metallic LPG and cafeterias from petrol the area. Luckily no one was away from the residen- environment-friendly, is to especially restaurants and stations over the last couple of injured in the explosion. F blame for such incidents. cafeterias located near fuel cylinders that are years, but without any results. The Peninsula has learnt tial and busy commercial “This is all because of LPG stations. considered much They must be given a time from sources that an old petrol areas. And highways and cylinders and tanks,” said a Some favour letting the frame to move to other places.” station in Al Wakra that was expressways should have petroleum engineer who did not eateries remain at the fuel safer than the metal “Stricter inspections by closed for several months for more gas stations. A gas want his name in print. stations, given the commercial ones, are potential highly qualified and experienced flouting safety rules has become station should supply only “All LPG cylinders, even the value of their location. However, bombs in our professionals should be operational after it was acquired transparent non-metallic LPG they suggest that the use of conducted on these facilities by a leading fuel retailer, which fuel, and no other com- cylinders that are considered LPG be banned at such facilities kitchens. routinely to minimise the carried out some “renovation mercial activity should be much safer than the metal and they be asked to use electric potential danger they pose to and cosmetic changes”. allowed in the vicinity.” ones, are potential bombs in ovens or heaters for cooking. customers and workers at these A legal expert who did not Qatari citizen Ali Al our kitchens,” he said. Some others said the safety outlets,” he said. wish to be named said: “There Shammari He wondered why Qatar was of those working at these However, some do not think is no dearth of laws related to not promoting use of piped restaurants should be given stringent rules and inspections safety in Qatar. The problem natural gas, which is much top priority, even suggesting needs time, but it is the best way are the answer. lies in their implementation. less inflammable than LPG, that the outlets be provided to avoid such fatal accidents in A prominent Qatari engineer, Safety and security-related etrol stations were by developing an underground subsidised electricity so that future.” who is also a columnist and issues are not confined to gas allocated without supply network for domestic they remain competitive.