Fire Service investigators, in their efforts to identify the fatal leak or improper use that caused the gas explosion in Plaka on Friday, the 25th of September, are focusing on three factors:
- toxicology and histology tests on the victims’ lungs,
- the above-ground and underground natural gas supply pipes, and
- the “missing” bathroom water heater on the building’s second floor,
According to the information gathered so far, the natural gas network in this part of Plaka was built in 2011. Shortly afterward, the Greek owner of the second-floor apartment and her British husband had the apartment connected to the local network.
According to initial reports, natural gas powered the energy-efficient fireplace and the stove, but both were found without extensive damage. This suggests that the leak that caused the powerful explosion may not have been related to them.
The third appliance connected to the gas supply was a tankless water heater, which has not been found. Investigators are examining whether the leak occurred there or at another point in the network, anywhere from the street to the floor where the explosion took place.
Important evidence is also expected to come from the examinations of the victims’ bodies, which will determine who had inhaled gas before the fatal explosion.
To date, two fully documented explosions caused by the natural gas network have been recorded:
- on March 22, 2012, in Gyzi, and
- on December 20, 2012, in Ano Petralona.
The Critical Point of the Leak
The investigation into the deadly explosion in Plaka, which left six people dead, is focusing on the natural gas installation on the building’s second floor and, above all, on locating the exact point of the leak. At the same time, crucial answers are expected from the forensic reports and the victims’ toxicology tests.
Following the end of the search and rescue operation in the rubble of the building on Lysikratous Street, the focus has now shifted to determining the causes. A team of ten specialized officers from the Arson Crime Investigation Directorate is carrying out an on-site inspection, recording and collecting evidence from the scene.
At the center of the investigation is the second-floor apartment, where the elderly couple lived. Evidence so far places the main blast there, and according to available information, that apartment was the only one in the building with an active independent natural gas supply.
Experts are examining pipes and parts of the installation in an effort to determine the source and mechanism of the explosion.
A natural gas leak in the internal network remains the main scenario under investigation, although there is no final conclusion yet. The possibility of an explosion from a propane cylinder is being ruled out, since no related evidence has been found so far. There is also no indication of a leak from a neighboring building into the three-story building on Lysikratous Street.
At this stage, linking the technical findings with the results of the forensic and toxicology tests is especially important.
As Michail E. Avgouleas, retired fire brigadier and court-appointed expert, points out, “the official findings of the forensic reports and toxicology tests, directly combined with locating the exact point of the leak, will play a key role in clarifying the circumstances and causes of the explosion and fire.”
He also highlights a broader aspect of the tragedy, noting that “the explosion and subsequent fire in Plaka, which left six people dead, brings to the forefront the safety gaps in the use of natural gas.”
He makes special reference to short-term rental properties, given the confusion that initially surrounded the number and location of the people trapped.
As he stresses, “the fact that for quite some time there was complete uncertainty about the exact number and location of those trapped now makes it essential to establish strict safety protocols for short-term rental properties such as Airbnb.”
The investigation continues, with experts now searching for the finding that will allow them to determine with certainty where the leak occurred and how the building ended up in the deadly explosion and fire.
