Dallas Family Releases Video Of Child's Final Moments Before Deadly House Explosion
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) - Newly released videos show Linda Rogers, 12, getting ready for a cheerleading competition on the morning of Feb. 23, 2018.
In a time lapse video she is doing her hair, then the first moment of an explosion before the camera goes to black.
Her family wanted to share it with the public, hoping to urge Atmos Energy to improve safety.
The 12-year-old's parents and brother were able to escape from the rubble of the home in the 3500 block of Espanola Drive.
Rogers' family's attorney said the house filled up with natural gas.
Dallas Fire-Rescue said two other house caught fire on the same block were Linda lived. Those are also blamed on gas.
Three days after Linda's death, Atmos Energy started evacuations and turning off the gas to eventually close to 3,000 homes.
One year later, Atmos tells CBS 11 it's replaced 98 miles of pipes in that neighborhood.
"The way I see it, yes, it's nonstop. Now I think they're overdoing it," said nearby neighbor Sergio Barragan.
Barragan said he doesn't believe Atmos' version of events.
Atmos said the pipe system in the Northwest Dallas neighborhood was performing properly before the explosion and heavy rains and shifting soil conditions in that neighborhood put enormous pressure on the pipes.
Atmos said it continues to work in this neighborhood and across Dallas to replace cast iron pipeline and has accelerated those plans beyond what it would normally do.
The National Transportation Safety Board found that Atmos had received complaints weeks before the explosion of gas leaks in the neighborhood.
The report also confirmed that it was a cracked gas pipe behind the Rogers' home that caused the deadly explosion.
The company in a court filing has denied it failed to adequately respond to leaks in the area.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)