The scene after an explosion in Hamedan on February 23, 2023
Officials in Hamedan, western Iran, says at least three people have been injured after an explosion in a large, liquefied petroleum gas charging unit.
The spokesperson of the emergency department in the city, Mohammad Shokouhi told Tasnim news website, affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard, that three ambulances were dispatched to the place after citizens reported the blast.
“Fortunately, there are no deaths in the incident so far, but three people, including a woman and two men, are injured,” he added.
The semi-official ISNA also quoted Head of Hamedan Fire Department, Sadeq Pour-Sina as saying that a building inside the center's premises caught fire as well.
Pour-Sina stated that five vehicles caught fire in this accident, reminding that carelessness during the charging of LPG capsules was the cause of the accident. It is not possible to determine the cause of the accident from independent sources.
An LPG car is designed from the factory to run on liquefied petroleum gas, or has been converted to take LPG by an aftermarket conversion company. They are sometimes referred to as dual fuel or Bi-Fuel cars, as they can switch between LPG and petrol.
Safety experts believe that the use of liquid gas and non-standard gas cylinders in vehicles is dangerous because in case of the smallest accidents, there is a possibility of explosion.
There are 25 million cars running on LPG worldwide, including 13 million in Europe alone. However, unsafe practices may lead to a higher level of risk.