Following the explosion and the devastating fire that claimed the lives of five female workers at the Violanta cookie factory in Trikala, the company’s owner and two technicians were arrested on Tuesday.
The trio—including the site’s safety and shift technicians—face charges of manslaughter through negligence, according to local fire authorities in Trikala.
The arrests were carried out by the Fire Department’s Arson Crimes Division after two of the three investigators assigned to determine the cause of the fire concluded that the early Monday morning explosion that destroyed the factory could only have been caused by leaking propane gas.
Strong smell of gas
An on-site inspection at the facility revealed a hole in the propane gas pipes. It should be noted that there were two large propane tanks at the factory’s forecourt that supplied the gas to the production area.
Preliminary findings indicate that the propane leak originated from an underground pipe transporting gas from a large exterior tank to the factory floor. Under the supervision of a prosecutor, investigators from the Arson Crimes Division (DAEE) excavated the pipeline late last night as it passed beneath a basement storage area. Their search confirmed the presence of saturated soil—a clear sign of a significant, ongoing gas leak.
Employees on the thirteen-person shift reported that a strong gas odor had permeated the production area for days. Despite alerting management, workers claim their concerns were ignored. Investigators currently believe the fatal explosion was triggered by a fire originating in the industrial oven section.
The detainees testified before the Arson Crimes Division officers and will be led before the relevant prosecutor of Trikala on Wednesday. The five victims were discovered beneath the rubble of the collapsed roof.
Investigators noted that the death toll could have been even higher; many of the thirteen night-shift workers survived only because they were taking a break outside the building or were positioned near the exits when the blast occurred.
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