The Maldives has recorded 442 gas leak incidents across the country since 2022, including 74 so far this year, according to figures from the Ministry of Defence, released under a Right to Information request.
The ministry gave the figures in a written response on Sunday, 26 October. Over the same period, 28 incidents involved gas cylinder explosions and 21 involved cylinders catching fire, it said.
Forty people were injured in these incidents and five died, the ministry said.
What causes the leaks
Most leaks were caused by defective cylinder caps, damaged packing seals and faults in the stoves connected to the cylinders, according to the ministry.
The ministry said it had not generally found defects in the cylinders themselves, but leaks sometimes occur when the pin is stuck on cylinders delivered to homes. In the Malé area, a key concern is that delivered cylinders are not physically checked to confirm they are safe, it said.
Low awareness was the most common factor, the ministry said, with people failing to check gas hoses regularly and using stoves they had modified themselves.
Ministry recommendations
The ministry recommended special guidelines for gas service providers and businesses, and regular inspections of cylinders and hoses at restaurants and cafés. It also called for gas sellers to be required to check regulators and hoses when delivering to homes and to advise customers, for gas detectors to be installed in homes and businesses, and for the hoses and regulators sold in the market to meet quality standards.
If a gas leak is suspected, the ministry advised the public to:
avoid using anything that produces a flame or spark
not turn any electrical switch on or off
open all doors and windows to let air circulate
The Maldives National Defence Force, whose Fire and Rescue Service responds to fires, operates under the Ministry of Defence.