Faulty vent responsible in deadly Silver Spring explosion, federal investigators say
By Steve Thompson Steve Thompson Accountability reporter focusing on government and politics in Maryland, D.C. and Virginia Email Bio Follow April 23 at 6:15 PM Nearly three years after an explosion destroyed two apartment buildings and killed seven people in Silver Spring, the National Transportation Safety Board pointed to failed Washington Gas equipment on Tuesday as responsible for the tragedy.
The regulator and vent were owned and operated by Washington Gas and were its responsibility to maintain, NTSB investigator Rachael Gunaratnam said during an agency board meeting. “Six times in the weeks and months preceding the accident, residents reported a natural gas smell to Kay Management,” NTSB Chairman Robert L Sumwalt said during Tuesday’s meeting. “In each case, maintenance staff reported that they did not detect gas or attributed the smell to the painting of apartments.”
“While the NTSB’s conclusions and recommendations cannot make up for the loss of life,” Melillo said, “we hope others will learn from this tragic incident and take steps to prevent it from ever happening again.” His report was highlighted by NTSB board member Jennifer Homendy. “I strongly suggest that Washington Gas refocus its attention on actions they could have taken to prevent this accident from occurring, rather than spend time telling us how to conduct our safety investigation,” Homendy said.
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