05.03.2012

 

 

 

PRESS RELEASE

 

 

The Public Information and Press Relations Bureau within the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice is authorized to bring to public knowledge the following:

 

As a follow-through to the investigations of the case regarding the accident by explosion which took place on 19th February 2012 in „Sighetu Marmației”,

            The Prosecutors from the Criminal Investigation and forensics Section ordered the beginning of the prosecution towards two natural persons.

In the indictment of the two persons it was retained the perpetration of the offences of manslaughter (C.A.S. victim), bodily injuries by negligence (towards 14 injured persons), destruction by fault with highly aggravating consequences and forgery in documents under private signature.

In fact,  in the report of the evidence administered in the case, up to this moment of prosecution it was revealed that, one of the natural persons accused, as site master during 2005-2010, with attributions of quality control of the construction execution, regarding the building of the distribution network of the marsh gas in the town of Sighetu Marmației, has authorized technical documents (minutes of acceptance of performed works on different streets from Sighetu Marmației Municipality and the pressure diagrams).

Also, the evidences administered in the case, revealed that the second accused, an individual, as person in charge with the construction works from  S.C. B.G S.A company, during 2005-2006 authorized the technical documents, although the positioning of the pipes was made at a different depth then the one provided in the project and without this pipes to be set on a sand bed. At the same time, the evidence revealed that, the placement of the pipe in fact was made in a different place than the one provided in the project.   

These facts (the ones regarding the non-compliance of the execution project) created favorable conditions for the cleavage of the gas pipe at the crossroad of two streets (found by the investigation bodies on 19th February 2012), situation in which there were gas infiltrations in the basement of the damaged property, infiltrations followed by the generation of the two explosions on 19th February 2012.

 

The exterior investigation on the event site was executed on 19.02.2012, between 1000-2300, and was continued on 20.02.2012 and on 22.02.2012.

After the execution of the investigation on site it was revealed that the execution project of the gas distribution network has not been complied with. On stripping the asphalt a cleavage in the gas pipe was found. This pipe was positioned within a depth of only 66 cm, although the depth provided in the project was of 90 cm. The project provided the achievement of a protection sand bed with the thickness of 10 cm, which should have been under this pipe, but it was established that it was missing completely.

From the first depositions of the heard persons it came out the fact that the S.C. B .G S.A employees have been called several times, preceding the accident, but every time the employees of the gas distribution company claimed that they haven’t signaled the presence of the marsh gas. Moreover, they recommended the individual that made the complaint to give up the machine that he had installed for the marsh gas detection.

We recall that, the progress of the investigations may be followed through the chronological access of the press releases previously issued in the case:

 

- Press release – Takeove of the Sighetu Marmației explosion case by the prosecutors – Prosecutor’s Office of Maramureș Tribunal -http://www.mpublic.ro/presa/2012/c_20_02_2012.htm

- Press release – Follow through investigations in the Sighetu Marmației explosion case –  http://www.mpublic.ro/presa/2012/c_22_02_2012_2.htm

- Press release – Takeove of the Sighetu Marmației explosion case by SUPC – PÎCCJ - http://www.mpublic.ro/presa/2012/c_22_02_2012_5.htm

- Press release – Starting the investigations in the Sighetu Marmației explosion case - SUPC - PÎCCJ - http://www.mpublic.ro/presa/2012/c_23_02_2012_4.htm

          

As the investigations continue we will inform the public opinion.