Kentish Express Ashford & District
Investigation ‘will take time’
Safety experts to look first at ‘issue of gas’
Investigations into the cause of an explosion and fireball that badly damaged a row of flats are to continue for the foreseeable future.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is investigating the devastating blast that gutted a row of homes in Oak Tree Road, South Ashford.
The blast last week affected nine homes and left 10 people homeless.
Five people were taken to hospital after the blast suffering from burns, smoke inhalation and other minor injuries, including one man who suffered minor burns.
Demolition teams have been on site as parts of the first floor of the devastated structure were found to be unstable after an assessment by surveyors from Ashford Borough Council’s (ABC) building control team.
An ABC spokesman said the removal of dangerous parts of the structure was completed last Friday afternoon.
He added: “The rubble and debris around the site has now been cleared.
“Decisions over the long-term future of the site will be taken in the coming weeks once formal processes, including insurance, have taken place.”
The road closure in Little Knoll is also expected to remain in place for the foreseeable future and the site is still cordoned off to the public.
The exact cause of the fire is still unknown and will not be revealed until the HSE investigation is complete.
A HSE spokesman said: “Now that the immediate risks have been dealt with, we have begun to investigate the incident.
“At present we are concentrating on the issue of gas in the premises. The investigation is likely to take some time to complete given the extent of damage caused.”
Impossible
The spokesman added that while the investigation continued he would be unable to add anything further.
He also said it would be impossible to speculate when the investigation would finish.
Emergency crews were heavily praised for their quick response times but the site has now been handed over to the council, gas company and HSE.
A Kent Fire and Rescue Service spokesman said: “After operational firefighting had concluded, the scene was passed over to the Health and Safety Executive to begin an investigation.”
Workers from gas distribution company SGN were seen on the site minutes before the blast.
Spokesman Hannah Adam said: “There is an ongoing investigation into establishing the cause of this incident and we are working closely with the authorities on this.”
It is not yet known if the building will need to be completely demolished.