It appears that person responsible for gas explosion on Bauskas Street in Riga died in the explosion - Kozlovskis

RIGA - It appears at present that the person responsible for a gas explosion in an apartment building on Bauskas Street in Riga has died in the explosion, Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis (New Unity) told Latvian Television on Tuesday.

According to the minister, the police are still working on the case, but he believes that there will be no other suspects in the case.

The most pressing issue at the moment is to determine if and when residents could move back in, said Kozlovskis.

As reported, two people died in the gas explosion on Bauskas Street in Riga's Tornakalns neighborhood - a resident who was illegally tampering with a gas meter in his apartment and an employee of gas distribution system operator Gaso who had arrived responding to a call about a possible gas leak. Another two persons were injured.

The explosion destroyed the roof and part of the fourth and fifth floors of the building.

The building is managed by Latvijas Namsaimnieks and has 74 apartments in total, four of which belong to Riga City Council. According to preliminary information, the explosion occurred in an apartment owned by the municipality.

Following the explosion, residents were evacuated. Riga City Council's Urban Development Department has instructed a certified construction specialist to carry out a technical inspection of the building to determine the extent of the damage.