Oct 14, 2008 (DVB), In the wake of yesterday's explosion on a bus in Rangoon, local residents said they were worried about further incidents on buses converted to run on compressed natural gas.
Seven people were killed and one injured when the gas tank of a small Hilux passenger truck exploded in the early hours of yesterday morning.
An official told AFP that the explosion was caused by the faulty conversion of the bus to run on CNG instead of petrol.
A Rangoon resident said that all the buses and passenger trucks were converting to CNG because it is cheaper than petrol.
"Bus passengers in Rangoon are scared to see those gas tanks on the vehicles they are travelling in, as they are worried they might get blown into pieces if it explodes," the resident said."
"But they have no choice from but to ride them because every passenger bus [or truck] is now using CNG gas," he said."
"We have been feeling uncomfortable riding them since they switched from gasoline to CNG."
Reporting by Khin Hnin Htet