The Costa Rica Fire Department responded on March 11 to a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) explosion at a residence in Pozos de Santa Ana, San José, near the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) substation. The incident caused damage to about 80 square meters of the approximately 300-square-meter property, affecting household items, windows, and the garage.
No injuries were reported as a result of the explosion. Authorities said that only material losses occurred.
This event follows another LPG-related incident that took place on March 7 at Blue Flame, a company specializing in LPG bottling. In that case, a large fire broke out due to an LPG leak. According to firefighters, the previous incident was caused by human error when a tanker truck distributing LPG drove off while its hose was still connected to the plant’s main tank. This led to a significant gas cloud that ignited and resulted in a major deflagration.
At the time of the earlier accident, three workers were present at the plant but managed to evacuate safely before any harm occurred. The fire department brought the blaze under control and confirmed that only property damage was sustained.
These recent incidents highlight ongoing safety concerns related to handling and distribution of liquefied petroleum gas in residential and industrial settings.
