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Executives of Dominican Republic Gas Company Arrested in Connection with
Deadly Bottling Plant Explosion

VOA News

   Several executives of a Dominican Republic gas company, including its
   owner,were arrestedMonday inconnection with afire andexplosionat
   thecompany's bottling plantin Santiagolast monththatkilled 11 people,
   including a newborn in a nearby residence.

   Several others were injured when a gas leak ignited at
   theCoopegasliquefied petroleum gas plant on October3.Prosecutor say the
   incident involved the mechanical failure of three safety valves
   intended to prevent the fire.

   TheDominican Todaynewspaperidentified thedetainedexecutivesas
   HéctorRamón Vásquez Sandoval, general manager; Aurilio Concepción,
   president; Roberto Antonio Polanco, operations manager, and Emilio Yan,
   manager of the affected station.

   The paper saidtheCoopegasexecutivesare accusedof
   negligenceandhumanfailure.

   In anotherCoopegasmatter, a courtmagistrateallegethe companydefrauded
   the government by operating its 20 stations under the rules of a
   cooperative to avoid paying taxes.

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