Victims of a Connecticut Gas Explosion File Suit in Superior Court

By Merylee Robbins

Published on August 16, 2005

On a rainy day, approximately twenty gallons of gas leaked from an unknown source and flowed through the sewer system, collecting beneath a liquor store. As the gas pooled below, the vapors traveled inside of the first floor of Venacio's Wine and Liquors, filling the area with fumes until they were lit by a heating pilot light and exploded. The blast killed two people, severly injuring several, and leaving over 20 nearby residents without homes.

It was not until the plaintiffs hired experts who mapped the gasoline's path through the sewer system with an underground camera, that they were able to determine the majority of the gas had come from a Getty Oil gas station. Getty Oil denies any involvement in the explosion, however experts uncovered that on the day of the blast, the Getty Oil service station had received a gasoline delivery. After the delivery, records show that the station's tanks measured 20 gallons short of the amount to be delivered -- indicating that the 20 gallons of gas that caused the explosion had come from the Getty station.

Victims of the explosion suffered severe burns and other injuries. Many are still undergoing surgeries and medical treatments to repair the damage done to their bodies over 6 years ago. The group of 17 victims has already successfully settled out of court with several other businesses in the area that were discovered to have leaky gasoline tanks and could have contributed to the explosion.

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