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5 New Lawsuits Filed In Fatal Minnehaha Academy Explosion

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Five new lawsuits have been filed more than two years after a natural gas explosion caused part of Minneapolis school building to collapse, killing two people and injuring nine others.

Minnehaha Academy Explosion
(credit: CBS)

The plaintiffs are Minnehaha Academy employees who say CenterPoint Energy and Master Mechanical knew their work was "hazardous and abnormally dangerous" but "failed to inspect and close shut-off valves" upstream from a gas meter. The plaintiffs include the school's president who says she suffered a traumatic brain injury, the school's soccer coach who lost a leg and three other employees who say they suffered concussions and post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the April 2017 explosion .

Master Mechanical says it has respect for the legal process and the ongoing National Transportation Safety Board investigation. CenterPoint says it's aware of the lawsuits and will continue to work toward a resolution.

(© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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