Victim of gas tank explotion struggles to get justice

Victim of gas tank explotion struggles to get justice

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

When Steve Sugita, 65, decided to run his car on compressed
natural gas (CNG) in 1995, it was the government program to
reduce air pollution and conserve energy that convinced him.

His good intentions, however, ended in tragedy in 1999.

Steve told members of the National Ombudsman Commission on
Monday how he had been driving along a road in Depok, the
capital's neighboring town, in February 1999.

"I smelt gas and so I got out of the car. I didn't realize
what had happened. But, when I looked down, my clothes were gone.
I had been burned," Steve said.

Realizing that the worst was yet to come, Steve got as far
away from the car as possible.

"Several minutes later my car exploded. Imagine what would
have happened if I were still in the car," said Steve, who
arrived at the commission's office in Kebayoran Baru, South
Jakarta, in a wheelchair.

Steve investigated the explosion and concluded that it was the
Italian-made gas tank with the trademark Fiber ZNG 5454 that
caused it.

He said at least 15 incidents involving cars using Fiber ZNG
5454 took place from 1994 to 2003. Last week, a Kosti Jaya cab,
which also used Fiber ZNG 5454, exploded, injuring the driver and
three bystanders in South Jakarta.

Tests on the tank by the national police laboratory in 2000
revealed that the tank had corroded, while the laboratory of the
Ministry of Trade and Industry confirmed that substandard steel
had been used in manufacturing it.

Steve said on Monday that most countries, including Italy, had
banned the tank in 1993.

With the evidence, he reported PT Gas Biru, distributor of the
Fiber ZNG 5454, to the Jakarta Police for negligence causing him
severe injuries.

Steve complained to Pertamina, the Ministry of Industry and
Trade and the House of Representatives, but his appeals have
apparently fallen on deaf ears.

"I even reported the Jakarta Police to the South Jakarta
District Court for stopping the investigation. But even after I
won the case, the city police didn't start the legal process," he
said.

Steve's case, however, received support of a kind when, for
the same reason, a taxi exploded on Jl. Falatehan in South
Jakarta on Dec. 12, injuring four people, including three
bystanders.

Teten Masduki, a member of the commission, said the gas tank,
which around 10,000 cars still used, was very dangerous.

"The government's oil and gas laboratory only checks around
1,000 cars. The recent explosion on Jl. Falatehan proves our
concerns," he said.

Teten said the commission had proposed that the Land
Transportation Directorate check the road-worthiness of cars
using Fiber ZNG 5454 and that the Ministry of Industry and Trade
and Pertamina review the permit of the company importing the
tanks.

"We have also asked the police to be serious in investigating
such cases so that victims like Steve don't have to suffer long
delays," he said.