Sunday, November 15, 2009

Con Ed at fault for explosion death

From the Daily News:

Con Edison workers stumbled and bumbled for more than an hour instead of evacuating a Queens house before it blew up in April, a new state report says.

A dispatcher took 22 minutes to find a mechanic - who then spent 45 minutes testing dangerous gas levels without telling people to leave their homes in Floral Park, the Department of Public Service reported.

The unnamed mechanic was preparing to knock on the door of 80-50 260th St. when it exploded, killing Ghanwatti Boodram, a 40-year-old mother of three.

The report released yesterday faults Con Ed crews for not answering radios and blames a dispatcher for handling routine jobs ahead of the life-or-death leak.

It also says a mechanic didn't open a gas-filled manhole because he didn't have a barricade to put around it.

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