July 30, 2010 (by Horatio Algren) According to reports by Los Angeles burn and explosion attorneys, an LA building explosion killed two people after a tampered gas line exploded, Friday.
The Industrial building with a tampered gas line exploded killing one man that was thrown into the street and another person that was electrocuted by a downed power line. Fire Captain Stephen Ruda stated one of the victims was electrocuted when he tried to move his stake bed truck away from the building by a downed power line carrying 34,500 volts.
According to reports the wood front of the South Los Angeles building was turned into shattered wood and beams. Fire spokesman Erik Scott after the explosion the building caught fire and it took 100 firefighters approximately 25 minutes to douse the blaze.
One 27 year old man identified as Daniel Ibarra who works in the building stated he was taking the trash out at the time of the blast. Ibarra appeared to be in shock, had singed hair and had a bruised leg, he stated he was very lucky.
The urban search and rescue team secured the building and sent dogs in to search for one person they had heard reports might be trapped. The dogs according to Ruda did not detect anything and heavy equipment would be brought in to continue the search.
The explosion is expected to have been caused by a natural or industrial gas leak and is still under investigation that ignited when work began.
According to Denise King spokeswoman for Southern California Gas Co. the gas meter at the building was shut off Thursday and there was an illegal line instatlled to the meter that allowed natural gas from a street line to enter the building under high pressure.
King stated the illegal gas line bypassed the meter shut off valve and regulator that is designed to reduce the pressure. King did not know why the meter had been shut off to the building.
The business located at the site of the explosion makes metal security gates, windows, doors and security fences and has four employees, according to secretary Elizabeth Alvarado. Alvarado was not at the building when the blast occurred and stated that the business owner Jaime Lara arrived every morning and started the propane furnace. This furnace is used to heat cure the paint on the metal.
A welder identified as Johnathan Apol age 20 that works in the next building heard the blast and went to the street where two men were standing dazed and one was shouting Jamie.
The blast from the explosion and fire caused the building to collapse and debris from the explosion was thrown along the block. The explosion also shattered some vehicle windows in the area.
Ehline Law
633 West Fifth Street, 28th Floor
Los Angeles, CA - (213) 596-9642
Category: Personal Injury Attorney
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