Judge Slams NTSB For Slow Probe Into Deadly Apartment Explosions

SILVER SPRING, MD — A judge overseeing lawsuits from residents who were injured or displaced after the Flower Branch Apartments explosions in 2016 recently criticized a federal agency for not wrapping up its investigation.

Investigators have determined the Aug. 10 blasts that killed seven people were caused by a gas leak from a utility room. However, the National Transportation Safety Board's prolonged probe has stalled residents' lawsuits and drawn the ire of the presiding circuit court judge, according to "The Washington Post."

"This accident didn’t happen on Mars; it’s Silver Spring," Montgomery County Circuit Court Judge Ronald Rubin said during a recent hearing.

Rubin said he intends to sign an order, demanding answers from the NTSB, "The Washington Post" reported.

Rubin isn't the only official asking for answers from the NTSB, according to "The Washington Post." In a Nov. 16, 2018 letter to the agency, Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) said he is concerned "about the seeming lack of progress in the investigation."

"My office has been involved in assisting the victims of this tragedy from the outset and I am concerned about the seeming lack of progress in the investigation," Sen. Van Hollen wrote in the letter published by "The Washington Post." "I know that complex investigations can take a significant amount of time to complete; however, my constituents remain eager for answers and closure from this horrible event. I hope that the NTSB will complete this investigation as quickly as possible."

In that same letter, Sen. Van Hollen requested that the agency give an in-person briefing to his staff on the status of the investigation by Dec. 7, 2018.

Image via Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Services

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