NEW YORK (AP) – It was a run-of-the-mill complaint – a smell of gas – with a troubling explanation: Someone had improperly tapped into a Manhattan building’s gas line, and it was leaking.
The issue was quickly resolved. But seven months later, authorities suspect another round of gas-pipe tampering caused a fiery explosion at the same building, killing two people, injuring nearly two dozen and leveling three buildings in all.
While officials caution that they aren’t certain of the cause of last week’s blast in New York’s East Village, it is highlighting a long-known problem with potentially deadly consequences: untrained schemers rigging up pipes to save money by siphoning natural gas.
While statistics on its prevalence are limited, the president of New York’s Consolidated Edison, the utility that serves the building involved in the blast, called it “fairly uncommon.” Mayor Bill de Blasio said New York officials so far aren’t hearing of any gas-tapping trend, “but we’re going to look at everything once we have the full conclusions.”
Some who have worked in the industry, however, say it’s an all-too-familiar bane around the country.