Sophia woman succumbs to injuries following gas bottle explosion, son recovering

Sep 16, 2025 News

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– family to pursue legal action against Massy Gas

Kaieteur News – A tragic gas explosion in ‘C’ Field Sophia has claimed the life of a 36-year-old mother of four, Harriet Ray, while leaving her 13-year-old son, Jaden Jarod, bedridden and in severe pain.

The incident occurred on September 4, 2025, while Ray was cooking at her roadside food shop. Both she and her son suffered serious burns and were rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where Ray was listed in critical condition. “There’s nothing that could have been done for her. My sisters’ skin was falling off, there was nothing to cover her up,” Ray’s sister Annette George told Kaieteur News on Monday.

Ray unfortunately succumbed to her injuries over a week later on Saturday, after receiving treatment in the Intensive Burn Care Unit at GPHC. Her son, a student of Charlestown Secondary, was discharged last Thursday but is unable to walk, attend school, or care for himself. Doctors have advised that he will need up to nine months to recover.

Ray leaves behind four children ages 16, 15, 13, and 9. Since her death, the children have been placed in the care of her sister, Annette George, who is now juggling the responsibilities of her own family while mourning the loss of her sister.

Following the tragedy, the family announced plans to take legal action against Massy Gas Products, the company that supplied the gas cylinder involved in the explosion. George emphasised that her family will go to any length to get justice for Ray and her children.

On the day of the incident, Massy Gas in a statement said the company conducted an initial assessment and stated that the LPG cylinder was intact, showed no signs of leaks, and still had a full rubber seal. The company claimed that the explosion was caused by a non-recommended and defective regulator that released gas even when in the OFF position. The company replaced the regulator, hose, and clips with approved ones after the incident, and urged customers to use only certified components.

However, George countered this narrative, saying the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) also inspected the gas cylinder and found gas was indeed leaking. “We have videos showing that,” she told Kaieteur News. She also lamented that since Ray’s passing, the gas company has not contacted the family or offered support.

George described the harrowing aftermath of the explosion, explaining that Jaden remains in excruciating pain. “His chest is burning, his face, his back, his feet are burning. He can’t really walk, every time you put him on his feet, it would shock him. We have to do everything for him,” she explained.

The loss has also taken a psychological toll on the children. George shared a heart-breaking moment when one of her nephews broke two fingers punching a wall in grief after learning of his mother’s death. “They can’t catch themselves because they keep believing that she was going to come out of the hospital,” George said through tears. “It is hard. I can’t even mend their hearts to tell them that their mother was going to be alright,” she said. “I look at him in burden and I can’t even help them. They keep asking, ‘Aunty, where is mommy?’ and I have to tell them, ‘Mommy is no longer with us.” My little niece even asked if I’m their mother from now on.”

Heartbroken but determined, the family has vowed to pursue legal action against the gas company, seeking justice for Ray and her children. “We’re trying to find a lawyer because we need justice for her and the kids,” George stated. “Who could replace another mother back into their heart and play that part?

No one can do that. No amount of money can’t compensate my sister’s life. We need justice and at least prevent this from happening to another family of going through this gruesome hurt, this pain. That is our aim,” she said.

George emphasised that the family will go to the very end to hold the company accountable. “I am willing to go to extent that they should pay for the consequences for what they are making people facing. I don’t mind going to the last. My sister needs justice, my nieces and nephews need to be compensated because they are pretty little and nothing can’t replace their mother,” she said.

She made a public plea for authorities to urgently investigate the matter and called on Massy Gas to recall gas bottles from dealers nationwide. “I ask for the company to pull back all the gas bottles from the main distributors across the country, pull it back from the market and do a thorough investigation.

And I think is fair that Massy feel the blunt consequences, and put safety measures in place for the public,” she said.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time a gas bottle explosion involving Massy gas products has resulted in the death of its customers.

On April 19, 2025, a young couple from Adventure, along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway, died following a gas explosion at their home. The victims, 34-year-old Kevon Codogan and his 20-year-old reputed wife, Mezona Ronaldo were badly burnt after a gas bottle allegedly caught fire, while they were cooking. They were taken to the GPHC but succumbed to their injuries. Ronaldo died on Friday while receiving treatment, while Codogan died early Saturday morning.

In January, a tragic gas bottle-related explosion claimed the lives of a couple from Foulis, East Coast Demerara. The victims, 58-year-old Manu Sukhu and his 55-year-old wife, Basmattie Ganpat, suffered extensive third-degree burns during the incident, which occurred on January 4, 2025, at their Fifth Street home. Both were admitted to the hospital the same day, with Ganpat sustaining burns to 80 per cent of her body and Sukhu to 68 per cent. Despite medical efforts, they died three days apart from their injuries.

On December 17, 2024, another explosion in Little Abary, Mahaicony, Region 5, destroyed part of a home after a Massy gas bottle reportedly leaked. According to Oneka Williams, parts of their home, including the back door and walls, were blown apart. Massy representatives later denied the gas cylinder was at fault, despite initial police investigations suggesting otherwise.

On November 29, 2024, a similar incident occurred when a gas bottle exploded at a home in Better Hope, East Coast Demerara. The woman involved, Necolece recalled the explosion happening after she lit the stove. “I thought the fire was all over me. My first thought was, ‘Oh my gosh, the gas bottle exploded,’” she said. Afterward, Massy Gas representatives attributed the explosion to a faulty regulator but denied any fault on their part.

In another incident earlier in the year, businesswoman Jaiwantie Samaroo suffered severe burns after a gas bottle exploded in her shop. Her husband, Randolph Pereira, suspected the gas bottle was leaking overnight and filled the shop with fumes, leading to the explosion when Samaroo attempted to light the stove. Pereira noted that after the explosion, Massy Gas sent five representatives, who focused more on removing the gas bottle than on the well-being of his wife

Despite these incidents, there have been few regulatory changes. In January, multiple government agencies, including the Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission (CCAC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), launched investigations into the alarming pattern of gas bottle explosions. However, no significant improvements or safety reforms from Massy Gas were observed.

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• gas bottle explosion, gas explosion, Harriet Ray, Jaden Jarod, Sophia

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