Prince Muhammad Bin Saad Bin Abdul Aziz, Acting Emir of Riyadh region, announced that a pipeline will be constructed in the capital city soon to avoid the dangers resulting from inflammable gas transported in tankers.
Addressing a press conference, he said that those killed in a gas tanker explosion in eastern Riyadh will be buried after completing investigations. He described the blast as horrific and unusual.
He said that damages have not been estimated as yet. The findings of the Investigations Committee will determine which parties have to bear the losses resulting from the blast, the Acting Emir said.
Meanwhile, the Security and Safety Committee in the General Administration for Education in Riyadh region said that 11 schools have been damaged by the blast.
Sultan Al-Hamad, Chairman of the Security and Safety Committee, said repair work has started in line with the directives of Dr. Ibrahim Abdullah Al-Musnid, Director General of Education in Riyadh region.
Meanwhile, the National Gas Company has expressed condolences to the families of those killed in the blast involving one of its tankers and has given its own account of the disaster.
Sources told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that the transport committee at the Council of Saudi Chambers will suggest that tankers that transport hazardous products should be accompanied by four vehicles as a way of protection.
The sources added this measure will prevent other vehicles from getting too close to the tankers.
Meanwhile, Saudi Aramco announced through its spokesman that all tankers transporting petroleum products will be replaced with new and safer ones by the end of 2013. The spokesman said the new tankers will be rust-resistant and made of steel or aluminum to ensure their safety.
The process of replacing the current tankers, which have been in service for 25 years, will be gradual and smooth so that supply is not disrupted, added the spokesman.
In addition, trains will be used to transport fuel and gas around the Kingdom once the main railway network connecting the Kingdom's regions with each other has been completed, informed sources said.
The Saudi Gazette
4 November
