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Thursday, March 28, 2024 | Back issues
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Deaths Blamed on Leaky Propane Tank

LAS VEGAS (CN) - A mother sacrificed her life to save her young son and niece from a barbecue grill fire that also killed her husband, family members say in a lawsuit that blames a faulty propane tank for the deaths.

Leopoldo Rodriguez Vazquez died in the fire, as did his wife, Claudia Parga, according to the lawsuit. Their survivors sued Worthington Cylinder Corp. et al., in Clark County Court.

As the family celebrated the baptism of their son on Sept. 22, 2012, the father lit a portable propane gas grill while his son and niece played nearby with two family dogs.

Survivors say they heard a loud whoosh as the 20-pound propane gas tank ignited, spreading burning, vaporized fuel across the patio and onto Leopoldo and the young children, engulfing the entire area in flames.

As the flames reached the interior of the home, Parga sprinted onto the patio, scooping up her son and niece and shielding them from the flames with her body.

The father died three days later, the mother after a week, both with burns to their bodies and lungs. Both children were burned.

The family blames the tragedy on a leaky propane tank.

They seek damages and punitive damages for wrongful death, strict liability, breach of warranty, negligence and personal injuries. They are represented by Will Kemp with Kemp, Jones & Coulthard.

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