Should Plaza area have been evacuated before the blast?
Barb Shelly
Kansas City Mayor Sly James hotly deflected questions at a morning news conference about the absence of an evacuation order on the Plaza Tuesday, despite numerous persons reporting a strong gas smell for much of the afternoon.
“Everybody wants to blame somebody. Everybody wants to know these details,” James said. “That’s not going to happen today.”
Fair enough. James had the hard task of informing the public that a body had been found in the bar area of the ruined JJ’s restaurant. Much about the blast is unknown. Fire Chief Paul Berardi couldn’t even say today whether customers were advised to leave the restaurant shortly before the explosion, as some reported last night.
But make no mistake, the questions aren’t going to go away. Kansas City deserves a complete explanation as to why there seemed to be no urgency to get employees, customers and passersby out of the area when the odor of gas was apparently very strong.
Today may not be the day, with six persons still in hospitals, one dead and crews rushing to gather information and secure the blast scene while a major snowstorm bears down on the city. But we need answers, and soon.
Chris Purcell
2 months, 4 weeks agoRight on, Barb! When I reported a gas smell at my house some years back, a gas co employee showed up right away. There are too many disturbing mentions of people who smelled gas hours before. Joe Whisler saw (!) gas coming out of a pipe for at least 15 mins — next to a restaurant kitchen (!!!) — and ‘a worker’ told Steve Rothstein he was ‘safe’ and could go back into his office. I hope the Star stays on this. If there are confirmed stories of leaks that have been so strong and have not warranted evacuation, tell those, too, but ask lots of experienced people in other cities what they have done in similar situations.
Chris Purcell
2 months, 4 weeks agofrom the WaPo:
William Borregard, 20, who lives with his sister and her fiancé in the apartment building nearest to JJ’s, said he had noticed a strange smell for weeks that had worsened in recent days. On Tuesday, they called the apartment manager.
“We said it’s very pungent, and you should come out here and check it out,” he said. “He came over and rapped on the door and said there’s nothing to worry about. Stay in your apartment. That was five minutes prior to the explosion. And as soon as he left the explosion happened.”
Associated Press reporters Heather Hollingsworth in Kansas City, David Lieb in Jefferson City and Jeff McMurray in Chicago contributed to this report.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Phil Cardarella
2 months, 4 weeks agoThis does raise serious questions. If the events unfolded as reported, it is amazing that there is only one fatality so far.
If the workers broke a gas main, why was THAT not reported as a high-priority, 911 emergency? And, if the drinkers and diners in JJ’s did not have the good sense to leave when they smelled gas, why were they not IMMEDIATELY evacuated — along with the staff?
George Hunsucker
Northland
2 months, 4 weeks agogoing to be a dream-come-true for the ambulance chases phille, isn’t it?????
Sj Pagenkopf
2 months, 4 weeks agoThere’s a local company that makes a backhoe bucket that would have prevented the accident!!
Check out - http://www,flexxright.com