In Lexington, Missouri, the stateโs Attorney General launched a legal suit against a natural gas company following a tragic house explosion that claimed the life of a 5-year-old boy. The suit alleges that the utility company breached state safety regulations. This legal step was initiated by Attorney General Andrew Bailey after a preliminary federal report indicated that a Liberty Utilities worker neglected to properly mark a segment of a gas pipeline. This oversight occurred before another company proceeded with drilling operations to lay down a fiber optic cable, leading to the incident on April 9. The explosion obliterated a residence in Lexington, a community of roughly 4,500, situated approximately 55 miles east of Kansas City.
The explosion resulted in the death of young Alistair Lamb and caused injuries to his sister, Cami, aged 10, and their father, Jacob Cunningham. According to Baileyโs filing in the Lafayette County Circuit Court, a Liberty employee inaccurately informed the fiber optic company that the gas lines were fully marked. The lawsuit criticizes this grave misstep as a โpreventable tragedy.โ
Bailey contends that Libertyโs actions were in violation of a state statute aimed at safeguarding excavation efforts for various underground utilities such as water, sewer, and telecommunications lines. The lawsuit seeks a penalty of $10,000 for each day that the gas line remained unmarked and advocates for the appointment of a special monitor to ensure future compliance by the utility company.
Liberty Utilities responded by stating that due to their involvement in the U.S. National Transportation Safety Boardโs ongoing probe, they are limited in commenting about the explosion or the legal proceedings. Nevertheless, the company emphasizes its commitment to assisting the impacted families and participating in broader recovery initiatives.
The company highlighted that the safety and security of customers, employees, and the community remain their top priorities. Liberty pledged ongoing cooperation with both the authorities and regulatory entities to support the detailed investigation into the reasons behind the catastrophic incident.