The Fifth Minor Criminal Court has acquitted the owner of a restaurant in Arad of responsibility for a building collapse caused by a gas explosion, which resulted in the death of two people and injuries to six others.
In its ruling, the court stated that the defendant’s commercial registration had obtained all necessary licensing approvals from the relevant ministries, as confirmed by a letter from the Industry and Commerce Ministry.
The court further noted that the restaurant’s use of an uncertified gas leak sensor did not amount to criminal negligence in the absence of clear technical evidence to the contrary. It emphasised that the case documents did not prove the gas leak originated from the defendant’s premises, particularly as the restaurant’s gas cylinders were located outside and had no direct connection to the explosion.
The court concluded that the explosion likely occurred for another reason, especially after it was established that multiple gas cylinders were found at the scene, not all of which belonged to the defendant.
It is possible, the court said, that the leak came from a cylinder not linked to the restaurant.
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