Inquest rules on blast deaths

The pensioners' families say they are glad the inquest is over

The death of two men in a gas explosion in Nottinghamshire was an accident, a coroner has ruled.

Charlie Armstrong, 83, and Heinrich Ommert, 87, died after the blast ripped destroyed a block of four flats in West Bridgford last October.

The inquest at Holme Pierrepont Watersports Centre in Nottinghamshire heard pressure from surrounding concrete caused a cast iron mains pipe to crack.

The gas leaked into a storm drain, then seeped up through gaps in the floor into Heinrich Ommert's home.

We have agreed with Transco to replace all of the cast iron gas mains in the country Shane Wakefield, Health and Safety Executive

Flicking a light switch would have been enough to ignite it, the hearing was told.

The blast that followed destroyed much of the building on Walcote Drive, reducing it to rubble.

Mr Ommert was crushed to death and Mr Armstrong died 12 days later from multiple injuries.

The inquest heard Transco is currently working to replace all cast iron mains pipes with plastic ones.

'Installed correctly'

Speaking afterwards, Neil Johnston of Transco said: "What we've heard today is that this pipe was perfectly safe.

"It was installed correctly and that up until the explosion no problems whatsoever had been reported on it."

Shane Wakefield from the Health and Safety Executive said: "Cast iron gas mains are safe - not only in the East Midlands but also in the rest of the country, but we do know that they do fail."

"We have agreed with Transco to replace all of the cast iron gas mains in the country over the next 30 years with PE plastic pipes."