Investigations have shown that the gas explosion that destroyed the terraced house and killed a 79-year-old grandmother was most likely due to an accidental gas leak in the plumbing of the house.
The cause of the fatal explosion on Dulwich Road in Birmingham on Sunday night was “accidental and inadvertent ignition of a large leak of gas from a pipe junction”, Police, Fire and Health and Safety Department ( HSE) was decided. Authorities said in a statement Thursday.
Formal identification has not yet been completed, but the woman who died is understood to be Doreen Reese Bib.
The seriously injured man was dug out of the burning rubble of his house by about 12 civilians, and his heroic and swift action was praised by paramedics.
He remained critical but stable at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham on Thursday.
In a statement, HSE, the West Midlands Fire Department and the West Midlands Police said the demolition work “allowed investigators to safely access and test the internal gas piping section of the facility.”
HSE continues to investigate whether work-related activities have contributed to the incident.