San Bruno Explosion Investigators Evaluate Possible Causes
As firefighters are continuing to look for victims of the deadly September 9th San Bruno natural gas explosion, investigators have begun their work to determine what led to the massive blast and resulting fire that is responsible for killing at least six people. The agency responsible for investigating pipeline accidents is the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). NTSB officials are already at the scene of the explosion in San Bruno and have begun their investigation, which will undoubtedly take months.
One San Bruno resident, Tim Gutierrez, reportedly told CNN that he had smelled gas three weeks ago and contacted Pacific Gas & Electric who came to the scene. Although it was not clear what PG&E did, Gutierrez continued to smell gas, along with other residents. Investigators will surely probe into how many people contacted PG&E before the explosion, and what PG&E did. Other questions that will likely be answered in the course of the investigation include:
• Has the pipe involved in the explosion failed before?
• When was the pipeline (built in 1956) most recently inspected?
• Did PG&E properly train field representatives on the use of gas-detection equipment and grading leaks outdoors?
According to the National Fire Protection Association, natural gas explosions cause about 2,000 home fires each year. The most recent incident involving PG&E was in Decemter 2008, when a Rancho Cordova resident was killed in an explosion sparked by a natural gas leak in his hose. The NTSB determined that the leak was the result of an inadequate piece of polyethylene pipe that PG&E crews installed in 2006.
Explosions and fires are common causes of serious burn injuries, often requiring hospitalization, skin grafts, plastic surgery, and other costly medical treatment. If you suffered a burn injury as a result of a natural gas explosion, you may be entitled to compensation from whoever is responsible for your injuries. After any accident, victims would be well-advised to speak to a knowledgeable natural gas explosion personal injury lawyer who can help them preserve and protect their rights, and recover the maximum monetary compensation they are entitled to for injuries, medical care costs, lost earnings, pain and suffering, and property damage.
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