EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — Surveillance video from inside the Sun Metro maintenance facility shows the explosion that killed two workers and injured 11 people back in February.
WATCH:
The incident happened at around 1:21 p.m. at the facility located at 10151 Montana Ave. near the El Paso International Airport.
RELATED:Sun Metro explosion caused by punctured CNG cylinder causing bus to fall; report reveals
According to the fire marshal’s report, the cause of the fire and subsequent explosions was determined to be a compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinder that was punctured by an adjacent control panel for a hydraulic lift, as a Sun Metro bus unintentionally fell off a hydraulic lift, the report stated.
This mechanical breach resulted in the uncontrolled release of flammable gas.
The resulting mechanical friction and/or electrical current ignited the gas-air mixture, triggering a deflagration event and multiple explosions, according to the report.
The incident was ruled as unintentional, and the case has since been closed.
RELATED: El Paso outlines timeline for Sun Metro site cleanup; no lawsuits filed post-explosion
Among those killed was Ruben Ibarra, who reportedly suffered severe burns on 83 percent of his body and had been flown to a burn center in Phoenix to receive treatment. Ibarra died two days after the explosion. He was 29 and had just started working with Sun Metro in December 2024.
The second death was that of German Garcia, who had also been rushed to Phoenix for treatment. Garcia died almost a month after the explosion. Like Ibarra, Garcia had just started working at Sun Metro in December 2024.
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