First victim identified in deadly Oak Cliff apartment explosion linked to gas leak, Dallas officials say
The first victim of Thursday's Oak Cliff apartment explosion that killed three and injured five has been identified, attorneys for her family confirmed Friday.
Paul Wingo with Hamilton Wingo LLP said Sylvia Collins was among those killed in the blast.
"The family is devastated by this loss and is focused on mourning Sylvia while seeking answers regarding the circumstances surrounding this tragedy," Wingo said.
Friends told CBS News Texas that Collins was a community activist.
Sylvia Lagos said she was on her way to pick up Collins for lunch on Thursday when she arrived to find the apartment building had been demolished. Lagos said Collins lived on the lower floor of the Clyde apartments in a unit near the front of the building.
After the explosion, friends called Collins' phone, contacted hospitals, and searched for any sign of her without success, Lagos said.
"The reality of it is a little hard to take in, I want to believe not," Lagos said. "I did hear they recovered her driver's license, her ID, and Ms. Sylvia never went anywhere without her ID. I'm holding on. Everyone always wants to hold on to hope, but we don't know."
Missing mother and child deepen anguish
Also unaccounted for are 38-year-old Marisol Perez and her 18-month-old son, Erik Perez Jr.
Perez's sister, who did not want to appear on camera, told CBS News Texas that officials have not confirmed the two are dead, but the family believes the woman and child found in the rubble are them. She also said her niece was the young girl pulled from the rubble alive. Perez's husband was out of town on a work trip.
Fire crews were preparing evacuation
Fire crews arrived at 12:47 p.m. Thursday for a reported gas leak at The Clyde – formerly the El Ricardo Apartments – a two‑story complex at Patton Avenue and East 9th Street. The building exploded as firefighters prepared to evacuate residents, authorities said.
The NTSB is now leading the investigation because the incident involves a pipeline.
Atmos Energy said a construction crew unrelated to the company damaged a natural gas line near the property at 12:51 p.m.
Gas service in the immediate area has been shut off, and Atmos crews remain on site.
Search operations conclude Friday
Dallas Fire Chief Justin Ball said firefighters were 10 to 15 minutes into their response when the explosion occurred.
"You don't, they don't just rush in and evacuate," Ball said. "They've got a stop, people entering the street, so they did everything they were supposed to do right before they were going to enter and evacuate the complex. Then it exploded, and I would say if it had exploded a minute later, this would be a much worse situation."
Ball said the cause has not been confirmed, and Dallas Fire‑Rescue will not speculate until investigations are complete.
Aerial images showed the building heavily damaged, with flames and thick black smoke. By 2:30 p.m., 71 units and 120 firefighters were on scene, and crews contained the blaze by 4 p.m. Dallas Fire‑Rescue also evacuated residents from a neighboring apartment complex and a nearby house.
Officials said search operations continued until about 2 a.m. Friday and resumed a few hours later, using drones, cadaver dogs, and urban search‑and‑rescue teams.
By Friday afternoon, the search was complete, and crews would not re‑enter the rubble.
Death toll remains at three
Of the 22 apartment units, 19 were occupied at the time of the explosion. The death toll remains at three – two women and one child – and no additional fatalities have been reported. Ten displaced families are being housed in a hotel with long‑term assistance underway.
City leaders, including Mayor Eric Johnson, expressed condolences and pledged support for affected residents.
First lawsuit filed against Atmos
Meanwhile, the first lawsuit related to the explosion has been filed.
Kherkher Garcia LLP has filed a suit against Atmos Energy Corp., accusing the company of responsibility for the blast. The lawsuit represents Onecimo Ponce Mendoza, a resident who was asleep when the explosion occurred and was badly hurt while trying to escape.
The lawsuit says Atmos Energy didn't properly check for gas problems and didn't warn residents that a leak might be happening. The firm's founding partner, Jesus Garcia Jr., said Atmos has a pattern of safety failures that have led to other tragedies.
The suit asks for money to cover Mendoza's pain, injuries, medical bills, and long‑term effects from the explosion.
Atmos has not yet responded to the lawsuit.
While Lagos said it is too early to assign blame, she believes answers and accountability are needed.
"This was a big tragedy and a tragedy that could have been avoidable, and it wasn't," said Lagos. "We must, if it turns out that Miss Sylvia is no longer with us, then we have to fight for justice for her, because that's what type of person she was."
