Jakarta – Residents of Siak district in Riau are fast abandoning their three-kilogram gas canisters in favor of firewood because of safety fears.

The canisters, distributed by the government under a program to get people to switch from using the more expensive subsidized kerosene, have long been blamed for a series of explosions that have claimed scores of lives.

Darwilis, the head of the Riau Trade and Industry Office, said many Siak residents feared their canisters could explode at any moment.

"The thing is, they're still unfamiliar with how to use the gas canister and stove properly," he said. "That's why they've been abandoning the canisters outside their homes.

"Everyone's afraid that their canister will explode because they have no clue how to use it, and there's been no effort from the government to teach them."

One of the residents, Sumiati, said recent TV news reports about exploding canisters had prompted her to stop using her gas stove and instead use firewood for cooking.

"There's just been so many explosions killing so many people," she said. "These canisters are just like bombs. Who wouldn't be scared with so many accidents?" She has dumped her gas canister in the backyard.

Samsiah, another resident, also said she had been scared off by the news reports. "I'm afraid the thing will explode," she said.

She said that while she felt safer cooking with wood, it took much longer to prepare meals than when using the gas stove. "My son said the regulator that connects the canister to the hose is the source of the explosions," Samsiah said.

Critics and experts have blamed faulty canisters and regulators for most of the accidents.

Investigations this year found that illegal operators were jimmying regulators to siphon gas from the subsidized three-kilogram canisters to fill non-subsidized 12-kilogram containers and selling them for a hefty profit.

The practice, experts say, weakens the regulator valves and makes a gas leak more likely, leading to an explosion.

Meanwhile, spot checks on factories supplying the canisters have found some producers churning out cylinders with substandard seals and below-specification wall thickness.

The government has since introduced regulators and hoses it says are safer. However, explosions have continued, even in cases where the new parts were used.

The last reported explosion of a three-kilogram canister occurred in South Jakarta last week, when one person was injured and a roadside eatery was burned.