Heater-related accidents already account for nine deaths this winter — CDD

AMMAN — Heater-related incidents have caused nine deaths and 77 injuries since the beginning of winter, mainly due to asphyxiation, according to a report by the Civil Defence Department (CDD).

The CDD launched a campaign on social media in early December to raise awareness on the correct and safe ways to operate kerosene, gas and electric heaters. The instructions were also paired with visual aids.

However, 25 different incidents, in less than three months, indicate what CDD Chief Mustafa Bazaayah called in the report “a great source of worry” for both the department and citizens.

Mahmoud Zerbo, a PhD student from Burkina Faso who resides in Jordan, told The Jordan Times he accidently burned down his apartment when he left the electric heater on while he was attending a class last winter.

“I came back to find the firefighters and the landlord in my apartment, which was badly damaged. Nobody was hurt, but I was kicked out of the place and I am still paying the JD1,000 in damages estimated by the landlord,” said Zerbo.

The CDD informed Zerbo that the fire would have killed him if he was in the apartment, as it started in his bedroom.

Nabil Kurdi, a new father, said he came home early one day to find his house reeking of a bad smell, only to realise that the heater’s gas cylinder was leaking.

“My wife just gave birth a month ago and she must have gone to sleep without properly closing the cylinder. I cannot imagine what could have happened if I had not gotten home an hour earlier than usual that day,” said Kurdi.

The CDD cited nine common reasons for heater-related accidents in the Kingdom, among which were the lack of ventilation, drying clothes or cooking using heaters, and cylinder leaks.

The department listed common preventive measures. However, it said each different type of heater has special characteristics people must be cautious of. For example, the department said electric heaters are best used for no more than five consecutive hours.

As for kerosene heaters, they should not be refuelled while still lit, and should not be turned off outside the house.

Gas heaters have five additional safety precautions, such as inspecting the cylinder and the connecting piece between the cylinder and the machine for leaks, as well as continuously making sure the flame is on, because, otherwise, gas is being let out somewhere other than where it is meant to escape, the CDD said.