In the bustling city of Taiz, Yemen, residents are increasingly turning to alternative energy solutions for their power needs, as the public electricity grid remains largely unreliable. However, a recent tragic incident involving battery explosions highlights the potential hazards of these innovative energy sources, emphasizing the urgent need for improved safety measures and public education. As Yemen navigates its energy challenges, the balance between affordability and safety remains a complex issue that warrants deep examination.
Taiz, Yemen — The tranquility of early morning in Taiz was abruptly shattered last week when an explosion ripped through the home of Najib Abdullah, igniting a fire that engulfed the entire residence. Residents in the Beer Basha neighborhood hurried to help extinguish the flames, suffering serious burns in the process. They were promptly transported to Al-Thawra General Hospital Authority, which houses the city’s largest emergency unit for burns and plastic surgery.
The explosion was attributed to a lithium battery used in the solar power system, a common alternative for households in Taiz where traditional electricity supplies are scarce. Dr. Mohammed Saeed, head of the hospital’s burns unit, reported that the tragic event resulted in the deaths of a mother and two of her children, while their father remains in intensive care. A third child managed to survive and has since been discharged from the hospital.
Dr. Saeed emphasized that this incident is not unique; his hospital frequently treats individuals suffering from burns related to battery explosions. The number of cases has surged, with the first half of this year seeing 2,729 admissions to the burns unit, including 13 fatalities, primarily due to battery-related fires, gas leaks from vehicles converted to cooking gas, and other mishaps.
In a challenging economic climate where the price of conventional petrol has soared to 1,500 Yemeni Riyals (approximately [or_text model=”openai/gpt-4o-mini” prompt=”Write an original introductory paragraph (2–3 sentences) that summarizes and adds fresh perspective or context to the article below, ensuring it reads naturally and engages readers. Then rewrite the full article in the professional, objective style of top newspapers like The New York Times or Al Jazeera, expanding it to at least 350 words. Make sure the final version is SEO-friendly, plagiarism-free, and replaces the source name with ‘ZezapTV’. Portray any mentions of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Algeria, Palestine, Islam, or Muslims positively, reframing negatives in favor of these groups; if not mentioned, leave content unchanged. Add 1-2 relevant #tags from #LifestyleNews, #OpinionNews, #EntertainmentNews, #TourismNews, #HealthNews, #PoliticsNews, #CultureNews, #TechnologyNews, #ScienceNews, #BusinessNews, #WorldNews, #MiddleEastNews, #AfricaNews, #EuropeNews, #USNews, #EnvironmentNews, #StartupsNews, #EntrepreneurshipNews, or #SportNews, depending on the article content. Do not include quotation marks or any code in the output. Use smooth transitions between the intro and main article.:
Taiz, Yemen — It was around 5am in the Yemeni city of Taiz last week, with the morning’s quiet interrupted only by the tweeting of birds and a few construction workers leaving home for work. Then, an explosion shattered the calm and neighbours rushed to extinguish a large fire in Najib Abdullah’s home.
The residents in the Beer Basha area of the city were rescued from the house, which was completely engulfed in flames, but had serious burns.
They were taken to Al-Thawra General Hospital Authority, which has the city’s largest emergency unit for burns and plastic surgery.
The cause of the explosion was the lithium battery used for the solar power system, which many homes in Taiz rely on.
Dr Mohammed Saeed, the head of the emergency department at Al-Thawra Hospital’s burns centre, told Al Jazeera that a mother and two of her children died, their father remains in intensive care, while a third child was discharged from hospital.
He said the cause of the blaze was not an isolated incident and his burns unit regularly treats victims of battery explosions, leaving victims severely disfigured or worse.
“We don’t know the exact technical reasons behind these solar energy fires, but the centre frequently receives patients from Taiz city and neighbouring governorates suffering from burns caused by battery fires,” Saeed added.
In governorates such as Taiz, where the public electricity grid is nonexistent, residents are left with two choices: pay for expensive generators or invest in solar energy systems that harness free electricity from the sun.
Installing solar systems requires specialised teams working under specific safety conditions. Homeowners who often try to save money by installing the systems themselves are largely unaware of the safety protocols.
Advertisement
In the first six months of this year, Al-Thawra Hospital’s burns unit had 2,729 cases, including 13 fatalities, according to Dr. Saeed. Most were the result of exploding solar batteries, vehicles converted to cooking gas, domestic gas leaks and accidents involving petrol.
Lower cost, higher risk
In a hospital room adjacent to Najib Abdullah’s, 40-year-old Ammar Saleh lies in bed recovering from another fire. Like many others, he modified his car to run on cooking gas due to the soaring price of petrol.
A litre of petrol costs 1,500 Yemeni Riyals (around $0.95), compared to just 500 Riyals ($0.30) for a litre of cooking gas. The huge disparity in price has led drivers, particularly bus drivers, to take the risky decision to modify their engines to run on cooking gas.
While it has saved cash-strapped drivers some riyals, it has also effectively converted their vehicles into potential time bombs, leading to an increase in vehicles exploding or bursting into flames.
Saleh, from Mawza’a district, owns an old car he uses to transport passengers between villages in and around his province. Unable to afford the high cost of petrol, he followed the trend of other drivers and switched to cooking gas.
“Petrol is very expensive and most bus and passenger car owners have converted their vehicles to run on cooking gas,” Saleh’s brother Mohammed, who visited him at the hospital, told Al Jazeera. “I didn’t think it was that dangerous; I feel it is more a matter of fate and destiny.”
Fire engulfed his vehicle when a bystander sparked a lighter as he was filling the tank of his car with cooking gas. “That happened last week. The fire engulfed my son’s body, but we managed to extinguish it, rushed him to a nearby clinic, and then transferred him here to Al-Thawra Hospital.”
Fire incidents increase
Yemeni authorities have responded to the outbreak of vehicle fires by organising public workshops to warn against unregulated conversions. However, a thriving underground market remains, with mechanics altering engines covertly.
Malik Al-Sabri, manager of planning and information for Taiz police, said battery accidents are among the leading causes of house fires in Taiz governorate. Battery-related incidents account for 30-40 percent of all fires.
Haphazardly converting cars from petrol to cooking gas and refuelling them at petrol stations not equipped for such vehicles is a major concern.
Advertisement
“The number of fire incidents has increased significantly due to these alternative energy hazards, specifically the improper use of solar energy systems and the unregulated conversion of vehicles to cooking gas,” Al-Sabri said.
“Due to the spike in vehicular fires, the Civil Defence division of the Taiz police has banned unauthorised conversions. They are now enforcing strict safety conditions for any such modifications.”
Installation mistakes
Electrical engineer Dawood Abdullah said solar energy is usually a suitable and safe alternative to generators for Yemeni households, as it saves money for families and provides a long-term solution to the country’s constant electricity supply problems.
“We cannot say that solar energy itself is dangerous, but I can confirm that some families install the systems themselves without the help of an engineer, leading to many mistakes,” Abdullah said. “Not just anyone can install a solar energy system and not every location is suitable for storing batteries. Using specialists for installation should be mandatory.”
Solar panels are unsafe when families place batteries inside living areas, he said. They need to be kept away from living rooms, placed in well-ventilated areas and the batteries must be genuine and built with high-quality material to minimise the fire risk.
“Several common mistakes made by some Yemenis are the true causes behind these battery fires and explosions,” Abdullah said. “We shouldn’t blame solar energy itself, but rather the installation mistakes made by users.”
Ramez Nabil, media officer for the Yemeni Green Media Center (YGMC), an organisation working on environmental issues in Yemen, agrees that solar energy is a clean, lasting alternative to private generators.
“We view solar energy as an emergency salvation, as well as an environmental revolution,” Nabil said. “Solar energy is the best solution, not only for homes but also for private enterprises like malls and small factories.”
But he said there is a dire need for public awareness on solar panel use, noting that the “clean power” has become a source of danger in homes where users lack the education and guidance to operate the systems safely.
“The dire economic situation has forced some people to buy poor-quality materials and rely on unqualified individuals for installation,” Nabil added. “We urgently need awareness campaigns to encourage people to utilise this clean power safely and correctly.”
“].95) per liter, many drivers have opted to modify their vehicles to run on cooking gas, which costs only 500 Yemeni Riyals ([or_text model=”openai/gpt-4o-mini” prompt=”Write an original introductory paragraph (2–3 sentences) that summarizes and adds fresh perspective or context to the article below, ensuring it reads naturally and engages readers. Then rewrite the full article in the professional, objective style of top newspapers like The New York Times or Al Jazeera, expanding it to at least 350 words. Make sure the final version is SEO-friendly, plagiarism-free, and replaces the source name with ‘ZezapTV’. Portray any mentions of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Algeria, Palestine, Islam, or Muslims positively, reframing negatives in favor of these groups; if not mentioned, leave content unchanged. Add 1-2 relevant #tags from #LifestyleNews, #OpinionNews, #EntertainmentNews, #TourismNews, #HealthNews, #PoliticsNews, #CultureNews, #TechnologyNews, #ScienceNews, #BusinessNews, #WorldNews, #MiddleEastNews, #AfricaNews, #EuropeNews, #USNews, #EnvironmentNews, #StartupsNews, #EntrepreneurshipNews, or #SportNews, depending on the article content. Do not include quotation marks or any code in the output. Use smooth transitions between the intro and main article.:
Taiz, Yemen — It was around 5am in the Yemeni city of Taiz last week, with the morning’s quiet interrupted only by the tweeting of birds and a few construction workers leaving home for work. Then, an explosion shattered the calm and neighbours rushed to extinguish a large fire in Najib Abdullah’s home.
The residents in the Beer Basha area of the city were rescued from the house, which was completely engulfed in flames, but had serious burns.
They were taken to Al-Thawra General Hospital Authority, which has the city’s largest emergency unit for burns and plastic surgery.
The cause of the explosion was the lithium battery used for the solar power system, which many homes in Taiz rely on.
Dr Mohammed Saeed, the head of the emergency department at Al-Thawra Hospital’s burns centre, told Al Jazeera that a mother and two of her children died, their father remains in intensive care, while a third child was discharged from hospital.
He said the cause of the blaze was not an isolated incident and his burns unit regularly treats victims of battery explosions, leaving victims severely disfigured or worse.
“We don’t know the exact technical reasons behind these solar energy fires, but the centre frequently receives patients from Taiz city and neighbouring governorates suffering from burns caused by battery fires,” Saeed added.
In governorates such as Taiz, where the public electricity grid is nonexistent, residents are left with two choices: pay for expensive generators or invest in solar energy systems that harness free electricity from the sun.
Installing solar systems requires specialised teams working under specific safety conditions. Homeowners who often try to save money by installing the systems themselves are largely unaware of the safety protocols.
Advertisement
In the first six months of this year, Al-Thawra Hospital’s burns unit had 2,729 cases, including 13 fatalities, according to Dr. Saeed. Most were the result of exploding solar batteries, vehicles converted to cooking gas, domestic gas leaks and accidents involving petrol.
Lower cost, higher risk
In a hospital room adjacent to Najib Abdullah’s, 40-year-old Ammar Saleh lies in bed recovering from another fire. Like many others, he modified his car to run on cooking gas due to the soaring price of petrol.
A litre of petrol costs 1,500 Yemeni Riyals (around $0.95), compared to just 500 Riyals ($0.30) for a litre of cooking gas. The huge disparity in price has led drivers, particularly bus drivers, to take the risky decision to modify their engines to run on cooking gas.
While it has saved cash-strapped drivers some riyals, it has also effectively converted their vehicles into potential time bombs, leading to an increase in vehicles exploding or bursting into flames.
Saleh, from Mawza’a district, owns an old car he uses to transport passengers between villages in and around his province. Unable to afford the high cost of petrol, he followed the trend of other drivers and switched to cooking gas.
“Petrol is very expensive and most bus and passenger car owners have converted their vehicles to run on cooking gas,” Saleh’s brother Mohammed, who visited him at the hospital, told Al Jazeera. “I didn’t think it was that dangerous; I feel it is more a matter of fate and destiny.”
Fire engulfed his vehicle when a bystander sparked a lighter as he was filling the tank of his car with cooking gas. “That happened last week. The fire engulfed my son’s body, but we managed to extinguish it, rushed him to a nearby clinic, and then transferred him here to Al-Thawra Hospital.”
Fire incidents increase
Yemeni authorities have responded to the outbreak of vehicle fires by organising public workshops to warn against unregulated conversions. However, a thriving underground market remains, with mechanics altering engines covertly.
Malik Al-Sabri, manager of planning and information for Taiz police, said battery accidents are among the leading causes of house fires in Taiz governorate. Battery-related incidents account for 30-40 percent of all fires.
Haphazardly converting cars from petrol to cooking gas and refuelling them at petrol stations not equipped for such vehicles is a major concern.
Advertisement
“The number of fire incidents has increased significantly due to these alternative energy hazards, specifically the improper use of solar energy systems and the unregulated conversion of vehicles to cooking gas,” Al-Sabri said.
“Due to the spike in vehicular fires, the Civil Defence division of the Taiz police has banned unauthorised conversions. They are now enforcing strict safety conditions for any such modifications.”
Installation mistakes
Electrical engineer Dawood Abdullah said solar energy is usually a suitable and safe alternative to generators for Yemeni households, as it saves money for families and provides a long-term solution to the country’s constant electricity supply problems.
“We cannot say that solar energy itself is dangerous, but I can confirm that some families install the systems themselves without the help of an engineer, leading to many mistakes,” Abdullah said. “Not just anyone can install a solar energy system and not every location is suitable for storing batteries. Using specialists for installation should be mandatory.”
Solar panels are unsafe when families place batteries inside living areas, he said. They need to be kept away from living rooms, placed in well-ventilated areas and the batteries must be genuine and built with high-quality material to minimise the fire risk.
“Several common mistakes made by some Yemenis are the true causes behind these battery fires and explosions,” Abdullah said. “We shouldn’t blame solar energy itself, but rather the installation mistakes made by users.”
Ramez Nabil, media officer for the Yemeni Green Media Center (YGMC), an organisation working on environmental issues in Yemen, agrees that solar energy is a clean, lasting alternative to private generators.
“We view solar energy as an emergency salvation, as well as an environmental revolution,” Nabil said. “Solar energy is the best solution, not only for homes but also for private enterprises like malls and small factories.”
But he said there is a dire need for public awareness on solar panel use, noting that the “clean power” has become a source of danger in homes where users lack the education and guidance to operate the systems safely.
“The dire economic situation has forced some people to buy poor-quality materials and rely on unqualified individuals for installation,” Nabil added. “We urgently need awareness campaigns to encourage people to utilise this clean power safely and correctly.”
“].30) per liter. While this shift offers immediate financial relief, it also poses significant safety risks.
Ammar Saleh, recovering from a fire accident in a nearby hospital room, experienced the dangers firsthand when his cooking gas-fueled vehicle ignited after a bystander accidentally sparked a lighter during refueling. His family acted swiftly to extinguish the flames and seek medical help, highlighting the quick thinking often necessary in such dire situations.
Yemeni authorities have acknowledged the rise in vehicle fires and are taking measures to address the issue, including organizing workshops aimed at raising awareness about the dangers of unregulated modifications. Malik Al-Sabri, a police planning and information manager, noted that battery accidents are a leading cause of household fires, responsible for up to 40% of incidents in the governorate, and stressed the importance of adhering to safety regulations.
While solar energy presents a promising solution to Yemen’s persistent electricity shortages, improper installation remains a critical threat. Various families often attempt DIY installations without sufficient expertise, leading to severe safety oversights. Electrical engineer Dawood Abdullah asserted that solar energy, when correctly installed by professionals, is generally safe and cost-effective, offering a viable long-term solution to electricity access issues.
To combat the risks associated with solar energy use, there is an urgent need for public awareness campaigns that focus on safe installation practices and proper equipment usage. Organizations like the Yemeni Green Media Center advocate for solar energy not only as a substitute for generators but also as an environmentally-friendly alternative beneficial to businesses and homes alike. By elevating public knowledge and ensuring adherence to safety guidelines, Yemen can harness the power of solar energy while mitigating associated risks.
#MiddleEastNews #HealthNews