Pollution
Humain
Environnement
Economique

An explosion of natural gas occurred at around 6:00 a.m. in a first-floor flat of a three-storey building. Shards of broken glass were blown 50 m westward. The roofs of several homes were damaged. A fire broke out and part of the building collapsed. A total of 120 fire-fighters and 39 gendarmes responded to the blast. A K-9 unit searched the rubble. The explosion left four people dead, one person severely injured and three persons slightly injured. Several flats were heavily damaged, forcing 43 people to stay with relatives or in hotels.

An investigation by the gendarmes found that the explosion was caused by the build-up of a pocket of gas in one of the flats. They began following a number of leads that included a suicide attempt, a gas cock left open by accident or an error after a gas cooker was replaced by an electric cooker in one the of the flats just the day before.

A tenant, the plumber/heating specialist who replaced the gas cooker and his company were charged with involuntary manslaughter and injuries. They were prosecuted and, on 4 July 2014, given suspended sentences of two and three years in prison. The court also awarded nearly €1.7m to the 48 claimants and prohibited the plumber/heating specialist from exercising his trade ever again.

According to the press, the plumber didn’t immediately plug up the gas inlet because he didn’t have the necessary equipment with him. Instead, he just shut off the cock and intended to come back and finish his work the next day. He hadn’t recognised the immediate hazard. The tenant, who had been drinking when the accident occurred, was unable to remember the events of the previous evening. During the trial, he was unable to say whether or not he had opened the gas cock.

In March 2015, the Reims court of appeal confirmed the sentences handed down at the initial trial.