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Dallas apartment owners sue Atmos Energy over explosion
The owners of an Oak Cliff apartment complex destroyed in a deadly May gas explosion are suing Atmos Energy, alleging the utility failed to properly mark underground lines and delayed shutting off the gas.
OAK CLIFF, Texas - The owners of the Oak Cliff apartment complex destroyed in May's deadly gas explosion are suing Atmos Energy, alleging the utility company failed in several ways, including not shutting off the gas quickly enough after the leak was first reported.
Atmos Energy faces lawsuit
What we know:
The newly filed lawsuit claims Atmos Energy also failed to properly mark its gas lines and ignored known safety risks. The explosion killed three people, including a child, and injured five others.
The lawsuit comes as the Oak Cliff community continues to honor one of the victims through a new mural.
Oak Cliff community honors explosion victim
Local perspective:
Volunteers gathered Sunday outside J&E Express in Oak Cliff to paint the mural, which artist Issy Martinez said is meant to recognize hardworking members of the community.
"It's amazing. I'm really impressed and proud of the community for being part of this," Martinez said.
Martinez said the mural is intended to represent the people who have helped shape Oak Cliff.
"The mural overall is to represent hard workers in Oak Cliff," she said.
Unmarked gas line led to fatal blast
What they're saying:
The explosion occurred in May at the Clyde Apartments, which had been listed for sale. According to a preliminary investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board, a crew conducting a soil test on the property struck an unmarked gas line, triggering the deadly explosion.
The blast killed three people, including 79-year-old community activist Sylvia Collins.
"She will forever be in our hearts," said Jerry Figueroa, owner of J&E Express Auto.
Figueroa said Collins played an important role in Oak Cliff.
"Sylvia was very important in our community, doing whatever it took to get people engaged," he said.
Dig deeper:
Nearly two months after the explosion, the owners of the Clyde Apartments filed suit against Atmos Energy. The lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal actions connected to the explosion.
Wrongful death lawsuits have also been filed by Collins' family and by relatives of Marisol Perez and her son, Erick, who were also killed in the blast.
The mural at J&E Express was already being planned before the explosion, but organizers changed the design to include Collins.
"She was added on one of the final drafts I had," Martinez said. "Seeing it from my house, I didn't know what was going on. I saw the story on the news. Turns out she really showed up for this community, and I wanted to include hard workers in this community who worked hard to make this community what it is. So I wanted to add her and include her story into this and show her strong movement pose."
Martinez said Collins' addition came late in the design process because of the tragedy.
"Although she was added last minute because of the devastating accident, there were multiple drafts ... really making a stance, sticking out," she said.
NTSB investigation
What's next:
Atmos Energy does not comment on pending litigation and has not responded publicly to the latest lawsuit. Following the explosion, the company said it hired a third party to mark its gas lines.
The NTSB's full investigation into the explosion is expected to take more than a year to complete.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by FOX 4's Steven Dial.