Homeowners at a luxury housing development in Bahrain have sought legal advice over a gas pipeline fire that left their properties and cars covered with dark stains.

A residents' association at Riffa Views has appointed Haya Rashed Al Khalifa Attorneys at Law and Legal Consultants to handle the case, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

They want an independent investigation into the blaze in Sakhir on February 11, which coated the surrounding area including Riffa Views with an oily substance.

The group wants to know if a similar incident could occur in future and if the blaze last month posed a health risk to tenants.

Tatweer Petroleum, which is responsible for Bahrain's oil field, has initiated a clean-up operation at Riffa Views in the wake of the fire.

However, residents are concerned about the close proximity of oil and gas facilities to their homes - and are calling for such installations to be moved if an independent review concludes that they pose a threat.

“This group also includes residents whose houses or properties were not affected by the oil spill,” an American homeowner at Riffa Views told the GDN.

“There are some residents who didn't want to join this group, fearing that Tatweer might stop the cleaning procedures it has initiated.

“However, our concern is the environment, the quality of air that we breathe and the health of our children.

“The diesel generators, oil wells and other facilities that pollute the air are a concern and we need to see if these facilities should be removed altogether or relocated.

“It is our duty and responsibility to work together to ensure a clean and safe environment for our families.”

The Riffa Views residents' group also wants a damage assessment to be conducted to determine how badly properties were affected by last month's fire and the cost of repairs.

Those in the group include homeowner and retired oil industry professional Muhammadali Harazy, who called for the facility affected by the blaze to be shut down until a full review is conducted.

“To restart this facility, we must have a full investigation into the incident to prevent such a catastrophic fireball release from the flare stack,” said Harazy.

He added that he was concerned by the size of last month's blaze.

“We must have an independent engineering review,' he said, questioning the frequency of air quality inspections in the Riffa Views area.

Tatweer Petroleum did not comment yesterday. - TradeArabia News Service