At the moment, everything indicates that the person responsible for the gas explosion on Bauskas Street in Riga has died, Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis reminded in an interview with LTV on the program "Morning Panorama," LETA reports.
The minister noted that the police continue to work on the initiated case; however, he considers it unlikely that new versions about other possible culprits will emerge.
At the moment, the most pressing question for residents remains whether the building can continue to be used, the politician added.
As previously reported, two people died in the gas explosion in Tornakalns, in an apartment building on Bauskas Street — a person who was illegally manipulating the gas pipeline in one of the apartments and an employee of the emergency service of the gas supply company "Gaso," who arrived in response to a call about a possible gas leak. Two more people were injured.
The explosion in the five-story residential building occurred due to intentional damage to the gas pipeline. As a result of the explosion, the fourth and fifth floors of the building partially collapsed, as well as the roof.
The building is managed by SIA "Latvijas namsaimnieks," which contains 74 apartments, four of which belong to the municipality. According to unofficial information that has not yet been confirmed, the explosion occurred due to an illegal gas connection in an apartment owned by the municipality.
After the explosion, the building was declared to be in an emergency state, and its use was prohibited. The Department of Urban Development of the Riga City Council has mandated the building owners to immediately engage a certified construction specialist to conduct a technical inspection of the building. This is necessary to assess the extent of the damage, determine the conditions for permissible partial use of the building, and possible scenarios for its restoration.
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