Overview
- A machine working on MetroGAS network renewal damaged a medium‑pressure gas pipe during the morning, and the rupture led to a large explosion and fire at the Beltrán and Del Valle Iberlucea intersection on Friday.
- Emergency crews fought the blaze through the night and MetroGAS shut the leak around 02:00 to 02:20 on Saturday, allowing firefighters to declare the fire extinguished and officials to begin controlled returns for evacuees.
- Municipal counts put the human toll at one confirmed death and about 30 injured with seven seriously hurt, and early damage surveys report a collapsed corner deli and roughly 29 destroyed vehicles.
- The UFI N.º 6 prosecutor has opened a criminal investigation with forensic pericias that include specialized dogs and evidence collection, and two MetroGAS executives have been detained pending inquiries.
- The blast displaced dozens of residents and 96 people from a nearby disability home while the ENReGE regulator said it will perform siniestro audits, making regulatory findings and judicial results the key things to watch next.