• More than 1,000 kitchens exploded across Sri Lanka this year, killing at least seven people.
• Suppliers looking to cut costs increased proportion of propane, which raised pressure levels.
• Some tried to shift to kerosene oil cookers, but the government did not have dollars to import it.

People are resorting back to cooking with firewood as once-relatively prosperous Sri Lanka; experiences a severe economic crisis with shortages of everything; from medications to gas. At least seven people were killed and hundreds more were hurt; when more than 1,000 kitchens exploded nationwide; at the start of the year.

The increase in propane content and cost-cutting efforts by suppliers; were the cause of the dangerously high pressure.

However, petrol is now either unavailable or too expensive for the majority; of people in the 22 million-person nation, along with many other things.

Some people attempted switching to kerosene oil cookers; but the government lacked the funds to import it; along with the scarce fuel and diesel.

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The government also enforced protracted power outages; because it ran out of money to buy fuel for generators; which came as a nasty shock to many who had purchased electric cookers.

When her gas range burst shortly after preparing Sunday lunch in August; Niluka Hapuarachchi, 41, luckily escaped uninjured.

“Fortunately, nobody was present when it happened. The floor was covered in broken glass. The glass-topped stove had blown up. I will never cook with gas. It is dangerous. We currently have firewood, “Despite attempts to solve the propane issue, she claimed.

Owner of a roadside cafe MG Karunawathi, 67, also made the transition to wood, saying she had to decide between closing her establishment and putting up with the smoke and soot.

We must cook with firewood since we cannot avoid breathing in the smoke; according to Karunawathi to AFP. Additionally, firewood is getting more and more costly; and harder to get.

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