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Debris from a deadly explosion and fire at The Clyde apartment building is seen in Oak Cliff on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Dallas. Three people were killed in the May 28 explosion and fire at the apartment building.<\/p>\n
El\u00edas Valverde II\/The Dallas Morning News<\/p>\n
The owners of the Oak Cliff apartment complex destroyed<\/a> earlier this year in a deadly natural gas explosion<\/a> are suing Dallas-based Atmos Energy, alleging the utility failed to follow adequate emergency response procedures.<\/p>\n The lawsuit, filed Monday in Dallas County by property owners Sir Julian, LLC and Samuel A. Aflalo, also argues Atmos failed to mark the location<\/a> of the gas line that was struck by a drilling rig shortly before the May 28 explosion. The suit is the latest in a series of claims<\/a> filed<\/a> over the blast that leveled the 23-unit Clyde, killing three people<\/a> and injuring at least six others.<\/p>\n In a statement, Atmos said: \u201cWe strongly disagree with the claims made in this lawsuit.\u201d\u00a0The company said it could not comment on specifics, citing an ongoing investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board<\/a> into the disaster.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The utility has also denied wrongdoing in response to other legal claims related to the explosion, pointing instead to the actions of third parties.<\/p>\n Related: Gas line hit by drill rig was not marked before deadly Oak Cliff explosion, feds say<\/a><\/p>\n Dallas-based attorneys Ben Barnes, Ryan Hargrave and Payton Roberts, who are representing the Clyde\u2019s owners, argued in the suit that the utility \u201ccannot shift blame for its own non-delegable duties.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAtmos\u2019 multiple failures resulted in this catastrophic event that caused substantial harm and destroyed The Clyde,\u201d they wrote.<\/p>\n The lawsuit flagged Atmos\u2019 response time on the day of the blast.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Dallas Fire-Rescue contacted Atmos at 12:51 p.m., saying a construction company had damaged a natural gas pipeline at The Clyde, according to the suit \u2014 a timeline Atmos previously provided to The Dallas Morning News.\u00a0<\/p>\n Atmos arrived on scene at 1:20 pm, five minutes after the explosion, the lawsuit alleges. Atmos reported the same arrival time to federal regulators.\u00a0<\/p>\n Related: Oak Cliff tragedy shows finding gas lines not foolproof; experts say system has weaknesses<\/a><\/p>\n The lawsuit asks for compensation to cover the loss of the building and rental income, costs of repairs and remediation, and other expenses.\u00a0<\/p>\n Before the explosion, the owners of The Clyde were set to sell the property, along with a nearby sister complex called The Bonnie<\/a>, to a developer planning to construct new apartments for low-income seniors. The drilling rig was working on a soil analysis in advance of the new construction; the building plans were halted<\/a> after the blast.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n An engineering consulting firm hired by the developer had notified Texas811<\/a>, the agency that notifies utility companies of planned excavation so lines can be marked, before drilling was to begin. A separate company that locates underground utilities marked the gas lines for Atmos.<\/p>\n Related: Drill rig gathering soil samples hit gas line at site of Dallas explosion, records show<\/a><\/p>\n A preliminary report released July 1 by the NTSB, the federal agency that investigates pipeline incidents, found that while some markings were present at The Clyde, the line hit by the drill rig had not been marked as required<\/a> before work began. The investigation remains ongoing; a final report could take more than a year.\u00a0<\/p>\n The suit follows at least five other legal claims against Atmos made by survivors of the explosion, as well as the families of the three who were killed: Sylvia Collins<\/a>, 79; Marisol P\u00e9rez<\/a>, 37; and her 18-month-old son Erik P\u00e9rez Jr.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/p>\n