Investigators continue probe into deadly gas blast

As an investigation continued, Philadelphia Gas Works crews were working Thursday in the area of a deadly pipe break in the Torresdale section of the city.

PGW crews have checked the area around the gas line break that resulted in the death of a PGW employee Tuesday. 

PGW spokesman Cameron Kline said the utility uses a variety of high-tech and low-tech devices.”When I say there’s an electronic nose, it actually is a kind of little electronic nose, where we literally take an instrument and walk an area and sweep to make sure there’s a clean reading and then we move on,” Kline said.Kline said PGW also has a vehicle equipped with a similar detector that patrols the streets for problems.  And of course they respond to reports from the public.”If a leak is detected, we immediately bring our crews out there if there is an emergency. And then we will plan accordingly to fix them if they are smaller,” Kline said.Kline said crews are constantly working to find and fix leaks.  Some gas pipes are 70 years old.  Some are brand new.”Age does not necessarily mean our infrastructure is bad.  There’s pipe in the ground that’s older than you or I and it’s performing as well as it was the day it was put into ground,” he said.The agency must monitor 6,000 miles of pipe that run across the city.