Khaberni - The October Misdemeanor Court in Egypt witnessed, on Saturday, the arrival of the accused in the gas pipeline explosion case in Al-Wahat road for their first trial session.
The prosecution is charging them with causing the death of 8 people in the week before last. The session was attended by one of the injured in the incident.
The Public Prosecution referred 6 defendants, employees of a contracting company and an engineering consultancy office, to trial. They are accused of causing, through negligence, the death of eight individuals, injuring sixteen others, burning 11 vehicles, and violating the natural gas law.
The prosecution began its investigations immediately after receiving the report about the accident, sending a team to inspect the explosion site and assess the damages. Also, eight hospitals were visited to inquire about the injured. Technical committees from the Roads and Bridges Authority, the National Gas Company, and the Criminal Evidence Department were tasked to review technical requirements and the causes of the incident.
The investigations revealed serious neglect by officials of the contracting company and the consultancy office, as excavation works were carried out without permits or necessary safety measures, resulting in the rupture and ignition of the gas pipeline. It was also found that heavy equipment was used without conducting manual soil tests and without notifying the gas company before starting the work, despite its necessity.
The prosecution confirmed that the accident resulted from direct negligence of the defendants, emphasizing that there was no prior leakage before the day of the incident according to technical reports.
