Fire investigators have confirmed that a deadly explosion at the Violanta biscuit factory in Trikala central Greece on Monday morning was caused by a propane leak, backing initial assessments by firefighting officials.

Findings by the Arson Crimes Directorate team at the site and conclusions by court-appointed experts led with certainty to the determination that the blast, which killed five female workers, resulted from a propane leak and violent ignition. Sources said no gas detectors were installed at the facility to identify a possible leak. Asked whether detectors should have been in place, a source replied, “Of course they should have been.”

Late Tuesday, firefighters acting in coordination with a prosecutor arrested the company’s owner, the safety manager and the shift supervisor. They face charges including manslaughter by negligence, causing an explosion, negligent arson and bodily harm.

A senior fire official said an inspection found a puncture in piping carrying propane from storage tanks to the ovens. The hole was located in an underground area of the wing where officials had initially identified the explosion’s origin. An electrical engineer and a chemist are assisting the investigation.

Sources said experts testified that the explosion’s characteristics are compatible only with the violent ignition of gaseous fuel. Investigators said ovens in the production wing ran on propane, while four propane tanks outside the facility were found intact, pointing to a leak along the pipeline network.

Source: Ekathimerini.com