Car equipped with altered NGV tank explodes; 3 hurt

DON MUANG: -- A car equipped with an improperly modified tank for natural gas exploded while its driver was filling it up at a petrol station yesterday, police said.

The Volvo exploded at a PTT Public Limited Company station in Don Muang, leaving the car a total wreck amid pieces of broken glass and shattered ceramic roof tiles, said Lieutenant Chunta Chantana of Don Muang police station. The car’s owner, Adirek Phuchareon, 50, and two friends were slightly injured by broken glass.

Adirek said he bought a tank for liquid petroleum gas two days ago but he adapted it and filled it with natural gas for vehicles (NGV). The first filling went all right. But the second time the tank exploded, he said.

A PTT official said leaflets advertising NGV tank installations for Bt35,000 were found in the car. Adirek told police he had planned to start a business if the adaptation worked.

Adirek faces charges of negligence, causing property damage and breaching laws on transporting dangerous goods, police said. Also, PTT could file a civil action against him for damages to the station.

Manop Assanasupanusorn, PTT’s marketing manager for natural gas for vehicles, said NGV tanks have capacity of at least 200 bar pressure, but LPG tanks can only take 10 bars.

The misuse of the tank and belowstandard adaptation caused the explosion, he said.

Some 3,000 taxis in Bangkok run on natural gas, Manop said, insisting that it is a cheap and safe energy source. PTT’s standard NGV tanks have a capacity of 350 bar pressure and come equipped with two safety valves and a fuse. Installing one in a vehicle costs Bt53,000, he said.

--The Nation 2004-09-21

" Adirek told police he had planned to start a business if the adaptation worked."

Should sell well in the Gaza Strip

So it was his own Bl--dy fault.

Did not think about the consequences of what he was doing!!

How typical!!!!

there's a moron born every hour , i guess.

Sparky and the Earth Concept - Amazing story with sad results due to neglect