An explosion registered on Tuesday afternoon in a building in the Poblenou neighborhood, in Barcelona, forced the evacuation of several residents and caused a subsequent fire. The most probable hypothesis points to a butane gas leak accumulated inside a dwelling, which would have caused a deflagration.
The main paradox of the case is that the focus is not on a cylinder that explodes by itself, but on a gas that, under normal conditions, should not cause an explosion of that type. Jordi Sans, president of the Security Commission of the College of Industrial Engineers of Catalonia, maintained that butane cylinders do not explode under normal conditions and placed the probable origin in a previous leak inside the apartment.
Jordi Sans places the explosion in an accumulated leak inside the home
Sans explained that the causes of that leak can be diverse. He cited a possible failure in the connection pipe to the consumption point or human carelessness in leaving the gas open, with the consequent accumulation in a closed space.
"It could be the connection pipe with consumption, it could be human carelessness of leaving the gas open and it leaking, but the cylinders are intrinsically very safe" - Jordi Sans, president of the Security Commission of the College of Industrial Engineers of Catalonia
The engineer specified that the risk does not depend so much on the total quantity of gas as on the concentration reached inside the room. When that concentration enters the explosivity range, the mixture can deflagrate and cause damage and injuries.
Furthermore, he recalled that butane can be detected by its characteristic odor. That early identification capability is part of basic prevention measures in domestic installations.
The black smoke points to a subsequent fire and the Mossos d'Esquadra must determine the exact origin
The column of black smoke observed after the explosion fits, in Sans's opinion, with a fire after the deflagration. The expert pointed out that this chain of events is common in this type of incident.
"It is usual for there to be a subsequent fire after the explosion" - Jordi Sans, president of the Security Commission of the College of Industrial Engineers of Catalonia
The determination of the exact origin of the incident now corresponds to the Mossos d'Esquadra. Their investigation must clarify whether the leak originated from the connection, from the use of the installation, or from another point in the affected dwelling in Poblenou.
Sans also defended that having butane has the same level of safety as natural gas or an electrical installation when the system is used properly. Among the precautions, he recommended storing the cylinders at adequate temperatures, in ventilated places, and paying attention to signs of leakage such as smell or noise.
If a leak is detected, the first action must be to ventilate the area and avoid any ignition source. Jordi Sans summarized it with a specific guideline for these cases: "First we must ventilate and not put any flame."