The gas explosion that destroyed a row house, killing a 79-year-old grandmother, was likely caused by an accidental gas leak in the house’s pipes, an investigation has found.
The cause of the deadly explosion in Dulwich Road, Birmingham, on Sunday night, was determined to be an “accidental and accidental ignition of a large escape of gas from a connection in the pipework”, police, fire brigade and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that officials said in a statement Thursday.
The woman who died is reportedly Doreen Rees-Bibb, although formal identification has yet to be completed.
A seriously injured man was dug from the burning rubble of the house by a dozen members of the public, whose heroic and quick-thinking actions were praised by emergency services.
His condition was in critical but stable condition at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham on Thursday.
In a statement, the HSE, the West Midlands Fire Service and the West Midlands Police said the demolition work would have allowed investigators to “safely access and test parts of the property’s internal gas pipelines”.
The HSE continues to investigate whether work-related activities contributed to the incident.