The Smell That Saves Lives: Gas Safety in Every Georgian Home
Natural gas heats and feeds millions of homes in Georgia. It is cheap and convenient — and, when it leaks, one of the deadliest hazards in the country. The good news: gas accidents are almost entirely preventable, and your own senses are the first line of defence.
Why gas is a particular danger in Georgia
Much of Georgia's gas infrastructure is ageing. The country's Energy Ombudsman has warned of "systemic problems" in how the network is managed, and leaks in older apartment pipelines are reported regularly. The result is a recurring pattern of tragedy:
- In Tbilisi's Didi Dighomi district, a gas-leak explosion killed four people, including a child, and injured eight — residents had smelled gas beforehand.
- In Rustavi, gas accumulated in a flat; a worker who arrived to make repairs lit a flame, and the apartment exploded.
- In Zugdidi, a fire was caused by the explosion of a gas cylinder — the bottled gas many households rely on.
Different cities, one chain of events: a leak, a spark, a disaster.
How to recognise a gas leak
- Smell — a distinct "rotten egg" odour deliberately added to the gas.
- Sound — a faint hiss near a pipe, valve, or appliance.
- Sight — a stove flame burning yellow or orange instead of a clean blue.
If you smell gas — the order matters
- 1.Create no ignition. No lighters, matches, light switches, appliances, or doorbell — not even your phone indoors. One spark is all it takes.
- 2.Ventilate — open windows and doors, if you can reach them without switches.
- 3.Shut the main gas tap, if it is safe.
- 4.Evacuate everyone.
- 5.Call 112 and your supplier from outside.
Prevent it before it starts
- Have a professional service your gas stove, heater, and connections.
- Install a gas detector in the kitchen — it senses a leak before you do, and while you sleep.
- Check the flame colour; replace cracked hoses; never block ventilation grilles.
- Treat every gas smell as an emergency — every single time.
Preparedness costs little; a gas explosion costs everything. Detect early, act in the right order, and keep protection where danger begins — that is what ORDEX is built for.
Sources: Tbilisi Didi Dighomi & Rustavi explosions, Zugdidi gas-cylinder fire — OC Media, RFE/RL, Georgian news (Mtavari, Primetime).