Adulterated coal ups ‘danger risk’

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KUWAIT CITY, Jan 21: When the winter season begins in Kuwait, the temperatures begin to drop, and camp poles rise in the north and south of the country, people resort to various heating methods including igniting coal and placing it inside homes, reports Al-Rai daily. However, the danger in using coal for this purpose is huge, especially since it has led to more than one death and suffocation cases in recent days. This danger increases when adulterated coal is used, as it emits deadlier fumes. The daily toured the coal market in Shuwaikh Industrial Area, particularly at the roundabout, which has been known since the 1970s as the “Coal Roundabout” due to the presence of many of these shops in the past but today, only two of them remain. One of the coal sellers Hussein Ghulam warned against buying coal from unapproved sources.

Explained
He explained, “This is because there is fraud and great confusion in this product. Its danger increases more through the fumes that emit from it during its ignition. Some sellers on the streets sell adulterated goods, taking advantage of the fact that the items they sell are not refundable, unlike those who buy from an approved and licensed store. Cheating takes place by mixing bad coal with good one, such as mixing artificial coal with natural coal.”

Another seller, who identified himself as Abu Ali, said, “The danger in heating or burning coal indoors is the use of a large amount of the oxygen present inside the place, which leads to suffocation without the individuals realizing it. In case of coming into contact with something made of wood or fabric in a room, it will cause a fire.

Burning
If the burning coal is left inside a room, then care must be taken to place it somewhere far away from anything that could ignite. If you close the windows and leave the door of the room towards the salon of the house open, this is also considered a danger because the room and the salon will be in the same situation, and the coal may consume the oxygen present in them.” It is observed that coal prices vary depending on weight and source.

African coal is sold at KD 3.5 for seven kilograms. Vietnamese coal is sold at KD 4 for ten kilograms. American coal costs KD 4.5. As for the Emirati, it is known as Chinese, because it is synthetic and its grain is round. It costs KD 3.5 for ten kilograms. The best types of coal were those imported from Somalia, but this has been banned due to the political and security situation as well as the United Nations resolutions that prevented the import of the coal.

This news has been read 12609 times!