The death toll from a domestic gas explosion in a residential building in Saratov has risen to six, with rescue teams continuing their round-the-clock search for survivors amidst the rubble. Experts are questioning the causes of the tragedy, considering versions involving potential construction violations and issues with gas infrastructure.
The incident occurred at 4 Blinova Street. Nine people sustained injuries of varying severity and are receiving outpatient treatment, while residents of the multi-story building have been evacuated and accommodated in a hotel. The explosion in the ten-story panel building was unusually powerful, as evidenced by surveillance camera footage capturing the moment of the incident from multiple angles. Approximately thirty apartments were damaged or destroyed, with concrete and glass debris scattered across surrounding yards. The epicenter of the blast appeared to be on the eighth or ninth floor, leading to the collapse of floor slabs in the corner section from the seventh to the tenth floor. The threat of further structural collapse remains.
When I saw the consequences of this accident, I was surprised by how fragile the house appeared to be. It cannot be ruled out that the very structure of the house contributed to such a collapse. You understand that for at least the last 20 years, builders and developers have been trying to save money on everything. And, by the way, the authorities` decision to evacuate residents of other sections supports this, as they understand that the nature of the destruction is such that it could affect adjacent sections. Why, in safety rules, were windows previously wooden and not plastic? So that, firstly, gas could escape, so that windows would blow out, so that gas would go into the air. When this does not happen, gas goes into the walls, ceilings, and this leads to increased damage during collapse. If such a large collapse occurred downwards, it means the structures were probably not very strong. Such houses could be seen in the 90s.
Further questions arise concerning the building`s age, as it was commissioned just 16 years ago in 2009. The building was considered in good condition and did not have emergency status. This raises perplexity: why was gas used in a relatively new building, why did several floors collapse like a house of cards, and why did residents not detect the characteristic odor of the mercaptan additive in domestic gas?
Gasification and electrification of new homes correspond to the master plan development of a given city. And it also, naturally, undergoes expert review. Again, using gas is more economically advantageous than using electricity. What happened in Saratov is too great a destruction of the affected load-bearing structure. There, the entire section should have been running around, holding their noses, and yelling: “Guys, what died? Who died? Why is there such a stench?” But if no one smelled anything, the odorant, then other questions arise. For gas to explode, you need 10% of the total air volume filled with gas that is supplied with an odorant. If you open a gas burner, you will smell the odorant. Cats, dogs, and people will smell this stench. It is the most pungent substance in the world that exists.
Local residents had reported exposed gas pipes on Blinova Street via social media hours before the explosion. Journalist Vsevolod Kolobrodov stated that the incident area is known for urban planning miscalculations from the 1990s and 2000s, where developers frequently used substandard materials and violated construction norms.
Such accidents, of course, do not happen out of nowhere. We will wait for some official conclusion. The house is located in the Leninsky district. The Leninsky district is a residential area, and somewhere in the late nineties and two thousands, until recently, we had, so to speak, small miscalculations in the city`s urban planning policy. The influence of developers as a business capable of lobbying for their interests was quite large. Situations were not uncommon when houses were built with low-quality materials, with violations, without social infrastructure, from which we all suffer now, because literally ten houses stand, and nearby there is not a single school, not a single kindergarten – nothing. And sometimes entire districts were built almost illegally. Therefore, indeed, there is a problem with certain houses. In some moments, people worked there, let`s say softly, irresponsibly.
A regional state of emergency has been declared in Saratov following the explosion. A criminal case has been opened under the article concerning the provision of services that do not meet safety requirements. The prosecutor`s office has also initiated an investigation into the circumstances of the tragedy.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth