CAIRO: Several governorates reported a slight improvement in the butane gas cylinders’ crisis after the supply of cylinders in distribution outlets was increased following violent clashes Wednesday that left one person dead, three injured and several arrested.
A plumber in Imbaba died in a fight with a truck driver’s assistant after he’d jumped on the truck to take one of the cylinders. Clashes also broke out in Giza, Sixth of October and Helwan governorates over gas cylinders.
The Ministry of Supply had announced it will increase the amount of available cylinders, recruit people to help distribute the cylinders under the supervision of the authorities, giving priority to homes over factories.
In Cairo, according to governorate officials, the number of cylinders available increased by 26 percent.
“The crisis in Cairo has been less intense than other governorates but the problem is that other neighboring governorates get hold of cylinders from our share, Khaled Mostafa, Cairo governorate spokesperson, told Daily News Egypt.
“Reports indicate an improved situation after supply authorities interfered through the strict monitoring of outlets and banning the transportation of cylinders outside the capital, he added.
Citizens gathered in front of distribution outlets earlier this week and the overcrowding caused some elderly people to faint. Security forces interfered to break up the clashes, making several arrests.
According to press reports, trucks carrying cylinders arrived at distribution outlets; however eye witnesses claim they only delivered half of the shipment to outlets while the other half went to the black market as well as restaurants.
Cylinders’ prices in the black market reached LE 70.
Mostafa attributed the shortage to the approach of the Moulid Al-Nabawy, saying factories making sweets for the occasion used up a large number of cylinders.
In Menufiya, supply authorities raised the number of delivered cylinders daily to 60,000 after delivering 15,000 extra cylinders. The governorate also announced it would assign a truck carrying 1,600 cylinders for emergency situations in addition to 232 cars as well as a hotline for complains.
In Aswan, Fayoum and Damietta governorates, distribution schedules were modified to midnight and extra amounts of cylinders were delivered to distribution outlets.
In Minya, strict measures were taken against people dealing in the black market after more than 2,115 complaints were made for illegal dealers, 2,137 cylinders were confiscated and two warehouses were closed.
Prosecutor General Abdel Meguid Mahmoud announced that anyone caught storing gas cylinders or illegally trading them would be brought to court.
The General Petroleum Authority announced that it would pump an additional 100,000 cylinders, raising the available quantity to 1.2 million cylinders a day.
