The source of the gas leaks that led to the explosion in Rahova was not located in the basement of the building, but outside the building.
According to the preliminary report prepared by experts from INSEMEX and cited by Digi24, the crack occurred in a gas pipe underground, outside the building, and the leaked gas subsequently accumulated in the basement of the building.
The report indicates that the pipe was damaged by a short circuit caused by an electric cable nearby, which melted. According to regulations, a gas pipe should not be placed near an electric power cable.
The main pipe passed through the same underground tunnel where the electrical cables and the water supply network of the building in the Rahova neighborhood were installed. From underground, through the network of galleries of the sewer and district heating system, the gas reached the basement of the building, then rose through the ventilation system, through the building's air columns, as shown by the preliminary data of the report.
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Investigators also note that on the 5th floor, the vertical column of the building was clogged. Consequently, although the valve at the entrance to the building had been closed, gas accumulated in the apartment where the explosion occurred on Friday morning.
The explosion was triggered at the moment when an electric arc occurred - for example, when someone turned on the light. A portion of the cracked pipe was lifted by INSEMEX specialists and sent to the laboratory in Gorj for detailed technical expertise.
The residents of the building reported that immediately after the explosion, the alarms were sounding and the heaters were still running, even after the gas had been turned off. The building administrator also confirmed that the smell was still present, even though the gas had been shut off in the building, initially believing that was the main source of the leaks.