Gas Company Fined £5 Million After Fatal Explosion in West Yorkshire
A catastrophic gas explosion in Mirfield has claimed the life of homeowner Elena Frunza. The tragedy unfolded on 11 February 2019, when West Yorkshire Fire Service rushed to Huddersfield Road amid flames and chaos.
Broken Gas Main Blamed for Deadly Blast
Elena was found trapped inside her burning home. Despite being rushed to 1 General Hospital, she sadly died the next morning. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation revealed the blast was caused by a fractured six-inch cast iron gas main beneath the street.
Shockingly, this gas main was missing from Northern Gas Networks’ official maps. Without proper documentation, the faulty pipeline wasn’t maintained under Pipelines Safety Regulations 1996, leading directly to the disaster.
Northern Gas Networks Admits Failings, Faces Heavy Fine
Northern Gas Networks Ltd, based in Leeds, pleaded guilty to breaching the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974. They were slapped with a staggering £5 million fine and ordered to stump up £91,487 in costs.
“This incident, that put the lives of the elderly residents of a care home at risk and cost a homeowner her life, has highlighted a failure by Northern Gas Networks Limited to follow their own safety procedures, in this case requiring the prompt and effective investigation and correction of anomalies in their records,” said HSE inspector Neil Casey.
“Other gas network operators should take the opportunity to learn from this tragic incident.”
