A 72-year-old woman died early this Tuesday after an explosion associated with an alleged gas leak at the Alejandro Humboldt Residences, located in the Maiquetía parish of La Guaira state. The incident also left at least 15 apartments with considerable damage.
The victim was identified as Lourdes Mildred Rosas, a seamstress and resident of apartment A217 in tower A, who was trapped inside her home after the explosion occurred at approximately 6:00 in the morning.
According to testimonies from neighbors, in the hours before the event there was a smell of gas in the apartment. Minutes later, a strong explosion occurred that shook the structure of the building, causing windows to break and generating a fire that spread to adjacent apartments. Residents evacuated amid smoke and debris.
Neighbors tried to help the victim, but were unable to enter the property because the door was closed and the presence of fire and smoke prevented access.
The building has a direct piped gas supply, in addition to the use of cylinders in some apartments. Regarding this aspect, the authorities are keeping several lines of investigation open to determine the origin of the leak that caused the explosion.
The fire affected a total of 15 homes, with damage including destroyed windows, structural damage, compromised electrical installations, and smoke and water losses. Several families were evacuated preventively while technical evaluations were carried out.
Officials from the La Guaira state Fire Department and the Marine Fire Department attended the scene, controlling the fire and preventing its spread to other areas of the residential complex. Subsequently, Forensic Medicine personnel carried out the removal of the body.
Inspectors from Pdvsa Gas La Guaira and Civil Protection also appeared, who began the investigations to determine the causes of the incident and evaluate the conditions of the building’s internal gas network.
The Alejandro Humboldt Residences recorded a similar incident related to gas in 2015, with two fatalities. Authorities reported that investigations are ongoing to clarify the circumstances of the explosion.
