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Negligence causes grave pain for family

23 Sep 2011 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The severe negligence of an industrial gas company altered the lives of a family at a recent wedding anniversary party when a suspected oxygen cylinder used to pump air into the balloons burst unexpectedly causing grave damage.

Sharmila Cassim Captain a resident of Colombo 5 said that the services of the company were hired to put up helium and normal balloons to decorate a hotel hall for the party. The man from the company who had been hired to put up the balloons had brought with him a helium cylinder as well as an oxygen cylinder to fill the helium and normal balloons.

“We noticed that the man was speaking in an over-confident manner and seemed somewhat hyperactive like he was under the influence of liquor. He squatted behind a cylinder, which we were later informed by his employer was an oxygen tank, and tried to get it to work. It wasn’t working as it should so he hit the top of the cylinder with some instrument and then we heard a loud bang,” she said.

She said when she recovered her senses after the explosion she found that her sister was standing about 5ft away from the man, who had suffered severe wounds and she and her daughter and other members of her family were also severely affected by the oxygen cylinder explosion.

She said the balloon company blatantly denied any responsibility for the accident and had offered Rs.200,000 as compensation which was not enough to cover hospital, rehabilitation, after care expense and monthly income as her sister no longer can work.

She said her family was later informed that an oxygen can is explosive and is normally not used for the blowing of ordinary balloons although the company had used the cylinder for that purpose. (Olindhi Jayasundere)

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Negligence causes grave pain for family

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