The first group of four firefighters arrived on site just two minutes after the gas leak was reported. For about 10 minutes, rescuers carried out the necessary safety procedures: they blocked the street, located the source of the threat and prepared the water supply.
The head of the local fire brigade and rescue services (Dallas Fire-Rescue), Justin Ball, emphasized that not a moment was wasted and described the actions of his subordinates as heroic. — Just before they were about to go inside and evacuate, there was an explosion. It took time to implement all safety procedures. I would criticize them if they didn't do it, said Justin Ball, quoted by AP. He added that none of the firefighters were injured in the explosion.
A child and two adults died in the crash. 19 families lived in 23 apartments of the destroyed building.
Rescue services, using drones, tracking dogs and specialized teams, searched the ruins until Friday morning. — There are no missing persons; If that were the case, we would still be searching, Ball said.
The lawyer for the owner of the apartment building destroyed by the explosion, Geoff Henley, informed that the building was being sold and the company hired by the potential buyer damaged the pipeline during soil tests. The owner is shocked by the turn of events and deeply regrets this tragic ending, Henley said.
According to experts, the firefighters' procedures were completely correct because gas leaks are extremely unpredictable. Jerry Knapp of the Explosive Gas Academy noted that gas can ignite suddenly and without warning.
— One moment you're thinking, this doesn't look too bad, and the next there's a bang! – Knapp explained. Preliminary findings of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) indicate that the cause of the tragedy was damage to an underground gas pipeline. Gas supplies to the nearby district were interrupted.
