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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) - Federal officials have linked a fatal Birmingham, Ala., apartment explosion to a gas leak.
Authorities have said the explosion rocked an apartment complex early Tuesday morning and a woman was killed when a slab of concrete fell onto her.
Officials say the leak appears to have come from a 2 1/4 inch cast iron pipe that was installed in 1951.
National Transportation Safety Board investigators said Wednesday that part of the pipe the leak was traced to will be taken to a lab for further evaluation.
NTSB investigator Ravindra Chhatre says the agency is leading the investigation because pipes are considered a mode of transportation for the gas.
The NTSB conducting pressure tests on other gas lines in the area and has found two other small leaks in the neighborhood.
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