The return of the use of kerosene primus in the regions of N-E Syria and the challenges of its use

The people of NES are returning to using kerosene heaters(primus), despite the danger that their use poses to their lives, in light of the crisis of domestic gas outages and the rise in its price, if available, as a result of the Turkish occupation’s destruction of vital and oil facilities in the region.

Umm Mohammad from Al-Darbasiyah finds herself forced to return to using Babur kerosene( primus), because she is unable to buy domestic gas, due to its high prices and her inability to buy it, as the price of a domestic gas cylinder is 10 US dollars (about 150 thousand Syrian pounds).

Umm Mohammad told Aso News Network: “I bought a locally made primus from al-Darbasiyah markets at a price of 170,000 Syrian pounds, to manage my household affairs,” stressing that the circumstances forced her to use it, despite the danger of using it and its many malfunctions. She says: “I used it to heat bath water, but because of its malfunctions forced, I was forced to buy a new one.”

Regarding the safety measures that Umm Mohammad takes when using the heater, she says: “I avoid operating it in the kitchen, and I make sure to place it in the courtyard of the house and in a secluded place. I also wrap the kerosene Babur’s(primus) tank with a wet cloth to avoid it exploding due to the Babur’s heat.”

Umm Mohammad adds that she suffers from severe pain in her head, due to the smoke and smell of kerosene emanating from the pipe, so she wears a mask when using it, and she also prevents her children from approaching it for their safety.
Meanwhile, al-Darbasiyah markets are witnessing a noticeable increase in the prices of kerosene primuses, with the price of one piece ranging between 170 to 180 thousand Syrian pounds, and kerosene heater’s repair shops have also witnessed a noticeable recovery recently, as a result of people’s demand to repair their old heaters, in light of the crisis in obtaining domestic gas.

Alaa Hasso, a kerosene heaters seller from Al-Darbasiyah, told Aso News Network: “The heaters available in the markets are locally made, and they are often made of iron and are called (Zawi), and they are the best-selling type of heaters.

Radwan Hasso, a heater repairman, also told Aso: “The people’s interest in repairing their old heaters has increased by 70% compared to previous years,” noting that most of the faults are represented by clogged pipes, due to the use of diesel instead of kerosene to operate them.

Radwan points out the necessity of ensuring the safety of the pipe before using it, especially paying attention to the absence of holes from which kerosene leaks, and avoiding mixing different types of fuels, such as gasoline and diesel, to ignite the pipe, due to the danger it entails that may lead to it exploding, especially since the pipes are local. The manufacture is not of high quality, so you must be careful when using it, and not neglect its malfunctions.

Radwan confirms that there are many burn injuries resulting from the explosion of kerosene pipelines, as a result of their incorrect use.

The various regions of NE-Syria are witnessing a severe fuel crisis, as a result of the Turkish occupation’s targeting and destruction of vital and oil installations there, including al-Swediyeh gas facility, which was considered the largest source of domestic gas in the region, which led to it being completely out of service.