Fatal Explosion at Chocolate Factory Due to Ignored Gas Leak: Lawsuit

The family of a worker who died in the explosion at a candy factory in West Reading is suing the R.M. Palmer Company for wrongful death, claiming that the company ignored warnings of a gas leak before the blast. Workers had reportedly smelled gas and notified Palmer, but the company "did nothing," according to the lawsuit. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation, with federal safety officials studying the role of a natural gas pipeline.