Leopold street explosion: the owner will be judged

Various facts

Three parties in total are referred to the Criminal Court.

The Liège Council Chamber on Wednesday ordered the referral to the Liège Criminal Court of two people and an intercommunal to answer to the facts relating to the explosion of the rue Léopold, which occurred the night of 26 to 27 January 2010 in Liège. . This is the owner of the building, a prevention agent responsible for the City of Liege and the intermunicipal fire Liege and vicinity.

A gas explosion occurred on the night of 26 to 27 January 2010 in a building that housed various apartments in the rue Léopold de Liège.

The affected building and the nearby building collapsed a few hours later as the victims' rescue operations were underway.

In the rubble, the bodies of 14 people were found. The disaster had also left many wounded. Nine physical persons as well as two companies (Resa and the intermunicipal fire of Liege and surroundings) had been quoted before the room of the council to answer facts.

In its order issued Wednesday, the council chamber of Liège ordered the dismissal of two people and an intercommunal to answer facts. This is the owner of the building who made unsafe premises available to third parties. It is also a responsible prevention officer of the City of Liège who had found on the spot the presence of gas three days before the explosion and would not have adopted adequate follow-up to its findings, while this follow-up of his function.

The council chamber also ordered the dismissal of the Liège and surrounding fire authorities who had been badociated with the alert of 23 January 2010 but who would have drawn conclusions that seemed premature.

According to the council chamber, there are sufficient charges to show that the damage would not have occurred if the owner and the safety and security officers had followed up on them.

The existence of damage was foreseeable due to the gas-type problems detected in the building three days before the explosion. The order of the council chamber is subject to appeal.