By Heppilena Ferguson
Preliminary analysis done by the police forensic laboratory has shown that the four cylinders which formed part of the suspected explosive device found beneath the stage at the National Cultural Centre on Monday night contained propane gas.
A high ranking police officer told Stabroek News yesterday that the analysis is still incomplete so he was unable to comment definitively on the full explosive potential of the device or the exact weight of each cylinder. The officer also said the device is being dusted for fingerprints and other evidence.
Propane gas is listed as hazardous and it is flammable when mixed with air. The fact that it tends to stay low to the ground increases its potential to ignite and explode. According to the Hazardous Gas Detectors Inc website, while propane is used as a gas to fuel appliances it is transported and stored as a liquid under high pressure in specially designed containers referred to as tanks or cylinders. When it changes to a gas, it expands in volume by about 270 times. This means that propane is very economical to store and transport as a liquid rather than as a gas vapour. However, this characteristic also means that even a small leak of liquid propane can result in a much larger propane vapour which can be especially dangerous in a confined space.
Administrative Manager at the Cultural Centre Frederick Christian told this newspaper that repairs to the damaged stage are set to start shortly. However, he still could not give an estimate of the damage caused by Monday night’s fire. Meanwhile in a statement yesterday, the Carifesta Secretariat said that the Culture ministry has instituted enhanced security measures to safeguard the premises. As part of these measures all trainees in the technical theatre programme for budding actors, set designers, stage managers, directors and others will be required to display their identification badges prominently upon entry and during all classes.
The Secretariat also urged persons who have not yet uplifted their identification cards to do so in the light of the new security requirements. It said too training for the said courses will continue at the Centre this weekend.
Police said a public-spirited person passing on a motorcycle noticed smoke billowing from the western side of the Cultural Centre and alerted the security guard on duty. The Guyana Fire Service (GPF) quickly responded to the summons and managed to extinguish the flames which had already damaged the curtain and the stage.
Firemen opined that the blaze consumed the curtains and as the burnt pieces fell, the floor caught fire. The firemen were advised that there was padding under the stage and so they broke open the flooring. Minutes later a device made up of four cylinders strapped together and suspected to contain a flammable substance was uncovered.
So far the GPF has not made any public announcements about its investigations.
