Following the explosion and the devastating fire that claimed the lives of five female workers at the Violanta biscuit 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 the Fire Department.
The arrests were carried out by the Fire Department’s Arson Crimes Division after two of three investigators assigned by the Division to trace the cause of the fire asserted that the explosion that destroyed the factory in the early morning hours of Monday could only have resulted from 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.
Employees on the 13-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 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.
