Karachi residents resort to risky gas storage method

KARACHI: A worrying and highly dangerous practice has surfaced in Karachi, where residents, frustrated by prolonged gas load-shedding, have reportedly begun storing gas in large plastic balloons for household use, ARY News reported.

According to reports, in Karachi’s Orangi Town area, particularly in Mominabad, locals say they have been forced to adopt unconventional methods due to persistent low pressure and unavailability of gas supply. According to residents, specially designed plastic balloons are being filled with gas and used for cooking purposes throughout the day.

These balloons, reportedly available in Karachi markets for around Rs1,000 to Rs1,500, are filled when gas supply is briefly restored. Once filled, they are disconnected and used as a temporary storage source for domestic cooking needs.

Residents of Karachi described the practice as a “last resort” due to severe gas shortages, saying they are left with no other practical alternative to manage daily household needs.

Also Read: Gas cylinder prices surge in Karachi after loadshedding

However, experts have strongly warned that this method poses extreme safety risks, calling the gas-filled balloons a “mobile bomb” that could explode with even a minor spark, friction, or pressure change. The presence of such devices inside homes in Karachi has raised serious concerns over potential fire and explosion hazards.

Safety analysts have urged authorities, including the gas utility company, to immediately address the worsening supply situation in Karachi and take urgent action to prevent what they describe as a life-threatening and uncontrolled practice developing across parts of the city.