UPDATE: Fatal heat pump explosion
23rd August 2024
POLAND: While official investigations continue into the fatal heat pump explosion in Chrząstowice, more details have emerged regarding the incident.
The explosion at a domestic residence on Tuesday resulted in the death of a 30-year-old service engineer and the 45-year-old property owner. They are said to have suffered multiple injuries to the chest, head, arms and legs. A third individual was injured and taken to hospital.
Unconfirmed report updates in the Polish press suggest the device was an air-to-water unit, half a metre away from the house and installed three years ago. Also, some reports say the unit was using R410A.
Further reports say that the explosion tore the device apart with enormous force. Only the base remained, and metal fragments damaged the walls and roofs of neighbouring houses. A fragment of the casing was found in the parking lot of a store 300m away.
A court-appointed expert who conducted a preliminary inspection of the scene, is said to have told the press that the heat pump was intended for larger commercial buildings, but admitted that the residential building where the tragedy occurred is relatively large.
A fire service official said that they did not know what the engineer was doing, only that work was being “carried out under pressure”.
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Heat pump blamed for fatal explosion – 21 August 2024
POLAND: A domestic heat pump explosion has been blamed for the deaths of two people in Chrząstowice, south-west Poland. Read more…
