Embakasi gas filling plant permit was rejected several times, says EPRA

An LPG exploded at around 1130hrs at Mradi,Embakasi.[Wilberforce Okwiri,Standard]

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority(EPRA) now says the Liquefied Petroleum Gas(LPG) storage and filling plant that exploded at Mradi, Embakasi did not meet safety distance standards.

In a statement on February 2, the authority stated that it had rejected several applications made by the company to construct a storage and filling plant at the site.

"Applications for construction permits for a Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) storage and filling plant at the site were received by EPRA on March 19,2023. 20th June 2023. and 31" July 2023.All applications were rejected as they did not meet the set criteria for an LPG storage and filling plant in that area," EPRA stated.

The authorities' statement comes barely hours after an LPG gas exploded in the Embakasi area on Thursday, February 1, claiming the lives of several people with over 200 fatalities.

EPRA has stated that it rejected the company's application for failing to provide a Qualitative Risk Assessment (QRA)

"EPRA noted the high population density around the proposed site and the applicant was requested to submit a Qualitative Risk Assessment indicating the radiation blast profiles in the unfortunate case of an explosion like the one that happened yesterday," it added.

The authority went ahead to send an email in correspondence, providing reasons for the rejection to the applicant.