Gas leak explosions, like the March 12 blast that leveled two five-story buildings in New York City's East Harlem, are commonplace nationwide and are not always due to aging infrastructure. In fact, experts in and out of industry say significant incidents in U.S. gas distribution pipelines occur on average every four to six days, and excavation work is often to blame for pipeline damage, according to the Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).
While the first of the lawsuits related to the deadly Harlem blast has been filed, the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) investigation is ongoing. The agency says it will consider all and any possible causes, but many industry experts cited in the media blame the explosion — which killed eight and injured more than 60 people — on aging pipeline infrastructure.