DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – Maria Rogers remembers the moment she learned her 12-year-old daughter, Linda, died of internal injuries one year ago after a natural gas explosion at their home, northwest of Love Field.
“I remember they say, ‘I’m sorry. Michellita passed away.’ So they broke my heart and I remember I was crazy. So I went run and run and say, ‘No, Michellita, no’!”
Maria Rogers – Linda Rogers’ mother (CBS 11)
The Rogers family filed a lawsuit to try to change how natural gas provider, Atmos Energy, does business.
Maria Rogers said she believes Atmos cut corners by not replacing old pipes and that led to the explosion that killed her daughter.
“The first thing I thought, Atmos killed my daughter,” Rogers said.
Linda Rogers (Rogers family)
Dallas Fire-Rescue said two other homes caught fire on the same block were the Rogers lived. Those are also blamed on natural gas.
Days after the child’s death, close to 3,000 homes in the neighborhood were evacuated so gas could be cut off and homes individually checked for safety.
One year later, Atmos Energy tells CBS 11 it’s replaced 98 miles of pipes in that neighborhood.
Atmos says the pipes were in good condition and that it was heavy rains and shifting soil conditions in that neighborhood put enormous pressure on the pipes.
Atmos says it continues to replace cast iron pipes in Dallas and has pledged to finish by 2021.
There’s a website with an interactive map that shows where the work is happening.