Philadelphia Chocolate factory ignored warning before deadly blast, lawsuit suggests

A Pennsylvania candy-maker igred warnings of a gas leak at its chocolate factory and bears responsibility for a subsequent explosion that killed seven workers and injured several ors, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday.

family of Judith “Judy” Lopez-Moran, a 55-year-old mor of three, filed what ir lawyers called first wrongful-death suit against R.M. Palmer Co. after March 24 blast in West Reing.

Workers smelled gas that day and tified Palmer, but 75-year-old, family-owned company “did thing,”  lawsuit said.

“ gas leak at factory and horrific explosion it caused was foreseeable, predictable, and preventable,” suit said. “Tragically, Judith Lopez-Moran’s death and suffering were preventable.”

lawsuit, filed in Philelphia Court of Common Pleas, also names gas utility UGI. Messs were sent to Palmer and UGI seeking comment.

Authorities are still investigating cause of explosion, which leveled a building in factory complex and damd several or buildings in West Reing, a small town 60 miles (96 kilometers) rthwest of Philelphia.

Federal safety officials previously confirmed y were studying role of a natural gas pipeline in blast. National Transportation Safety Board has called what happened a “natural gas” explosion and fire, citing preliminary information from local authorities and utility about pipeline’s role.

Palmer officials should have evacuated immediately after being told of gas odor but inste “me a representation to factory workers, including Judith Lopez-Moran, that factory was safe and that re was gas leak,” suit said.

Palmer, according to suit, “intended to misle factory workers ... so that factory workers would continue working and so that factory downtime would be minimized.”

Patricia Borges, who survived blast and was a friend and co-worker of Lopez-Moran, previously recounted how her arm caught fire as flames engulfed building. She n fell through floor into a vat of liquid chocolate. Borges told Associated Press how she and ors h complained about a gas odor about 30 minutes before factory blew up.

Palmer has offered condolences but has orwise said little since explosion.

“ seven who we lost will always be in our prayers, and to those who were injured we wish a speedy recovery. Over many years that we have worked toger many became personal friends and all valued members of Palmer team. ir loss will be felt forever,” Palmer family said in a statement five days after explosion.

law firm representing Lopez-Moran’s family, Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky, said it represents more than a dozen victims of explosion.