Gas Leak Explosion Destroys Homes, Hospitalizes 8 in Philadelphia
A contractor was working on rehabilitating a vacant home, and residents said they smelled gas and then heard the explosion that collapsed the house undergoing renovation and the two homes adjacent to it. The Monday explosion and fire on Daly Street also led to the evacuation of about 70 other homes in south Philadelphia. Our experienced building collapse injury attorneys sympathize with the residents of the collapsed buildings, who were taken unawares by the sudden explosion and fire.
Witnesses to the horrific accident reported seeing firemen dousing a badly burned man with water, and a girl on fire tossing a baby out of a window to waiting firemen who caught the child. 8 people were hospitalized from the gas explosion in south Philadelphia, including a man, woman, and baby who were in one of the three homes that collapsed.
At least one of the 8 victims was in critical condition with severe burns. Officials said that everyone had been accounted for after the disaster, but fire rescue personnel were using listening devices as they sorted through the approximately 15 feet of piled debris and rubble left by the explosion. Gas has been shut off on Daly Street where the explosion occurred, and authorities have begun investigating to try and determine the cause of the sudden gas explosion. (Sources: Elwyn Lopez and Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN; and Daniel Kelley, Reuters; 7/29/13)
The hearts and prayers of the building collapse injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC are with all of the victims of the gas explosion in south Philadelphia and with their families as they cope with the aftermath of the traumatic event.
Explosions, Fires, and Building Collapses
Explosions and fires can weaken buildings in unpredictable ways and lead to partial and total structural collapses. Our veteran building collapse injury attorneys note that firefighters often face their greatest risks of injury and fatality not from the fires themselves, but from the structural collapses brought about by these fires. There are many factors that might trigger a gas explosion and fire. So investigations of horrific accidents like the gas explosion in south Philadelphia might take many weeks before finally determining actual causes of the disasters.
Sometimes construction work ruptures or loosens a natural gas conduit. Sometimes, as in a recent case in Chinatown in New York City, carelessly leaving a pilot light burning in an appliance as you set off a few dozen bug bombs will blow your residential area apart. Click the link to learn more about the structural collapse hazards caused by explosions and fires.
Do You Know What Might Have Triggered the Gas Explosion in South Philadelphia? Contact Us and Report It
Information is the key in helping injured victims get relief and in aiding authorities to determine what happened. It might take a complex effort of piecing together the puzzle presented by many apparently unrelated clues to finally get to the bottom of what caused an accident.
The building collapse injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC emphasize that authorities and others are still gathering bits of data on what caused another major building collapse in Philadelphia this summer. They are trying to determine why a building undergoing demolition collapsed through the roof of the neighboring Salvation Army Thrift Store, killing and injuring several shoppers and employees.
The ongoing goals of our building collapse injury attorneys are to help get important information to where it’s needed most to help the victims and to aid the authorities as they try to address serious accidents and make our neighborhoods safer. If you have any information on what might have triggered the gas explosion in south Philadelphia, no matter how unimportant it might seem to you, contact us to report it right away. We’re available direct at 281-369-4363 or anytime through our online report form. Thank you.