The strong smell of gas in the stairwell alarmed residents of the apartment building on Aglonas Street in Riga.
People decided to contact the gas service — and for good reason. There was a gas leak from the stove in one of the apartments, reports the show Degpunktā (TV3).
A loud noise was coming from the positive pressure fan that firefighters used to ventilate the stairwell. It is visible that the windows in the first-floor apartment are open, and employees of "Gaso" are working inside.
Law enforcement also arrived at the scene, canvassing neighbors to identify the apartment owner and contact the building supervisor. One of the residents reported a strong smell of gas in the building to the gas service.
"As I was leaving the house for the store, I smelled something, but someone had already called for help. (DP: Did you smell it in the stairwell or in the apartment?) In the stairwell. (..) (DP: How quickly did the services arrive?) About an hour or 40 minutes. (DP: Quite a long time…) Yes. (DP: But did they immediately understand where the cause was?) I think so — the emergency service was knocking on the door where the leak was. Later, firefighters and police were called," said a local resident.
"Gaso" confirmed the man's words. Shortly after noon, a call was received about the smell of gas. An elevated concentration of gas was detected in one of the apartments.
"Representatives of the emergency service knocked on the door, but no one opened or responded. It was not possible to contact the apartment owner. The supply of natural gas was immediately stopped — the main gas valve for the apartments in the stairwell was shut off. It should be emphasized that "Gaso" specialists do not have the right to enter a residence without the resident's permission. Therefore, considering the situation, the fire and rescue service was called to help gain access to the apartment. It was established on-site that one of the gas stove handles was not fully closed, resulting in the gas leak," said a comment from "Gaso".
The supply of natural gas in the apartment building on Aglonas Street was restored in all apartments except for the one where the leak was discovered. Neighbors report that an elderly woman lives in that apartment, who was possibly out for a walk at the time.
