Video Shows 12-Year-Old Killed In Dallas House Explosion Seconds Before Blast
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — The family of a 12-year-old girl who was killed in a natural gas explosion at her Dallas home has released cellphone video the girl recorded in the minutes before and just as the blast happened.
Linda "Michellita" Rogers is shown in three separate short videos preparing her hair and wearing her uniform in preparation to attend a school cheerleading event.
She speaks quietly so as not to wake her family in the early-morning hours. The last video, shot as a speedy time-lapse as she braided her hair, literally ended with a flash of sparks when the explosion occurred just before 7:00 a.m. on February 23.
The 12-year-old's parents and brother were able to escape from the rubble of the home in the 3500 block of Espanola Drive.
After the deadly blast Atmos Energy had a system-wide shutdown in the area around the home. Thousands of residents were evacuated weeks as crews worked day and night to fix aging pipes.
The National Transportation Safety Board found that Atmos had received complaints weeks before the explosion of gas leaks in the neighborhood. The report also confirmed that it was a cracked gas pipe behind the Rogers' home that caused the deadly explosion.
The company in a court filing has denied it failed to adequately respond to leaks in the area.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
