An inquest has heard that an explosion at an illegal vodka factory that killed five men last July may have been caused by one of the men lighting a cigarette.
The five Lithuanian men died after breathing in flames during the fire at an industrial estate in Boston, Lincolnshire. The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death.
The only survivor, Rytas Gecas, said that they were allowed to smoke in the factory, and recalled someone lighting a cigarette shortly before the explosion. He claimed to have been working there for just two weeks when he was also caught in the fire and left with severe burns.
The youngest of the five men, Erlandas Duzinskas, was just 19.
Coroner Maureen Taylor said that she could not be certain that a cigarette was the cause but that “the only certainty is that illegal activities were being carried out in the unit at the time.”
Outside court Ch Insp Lorraine Bradley from Lincolnshire Police said that it has been a “complex and difficult case”.
She continued, “Extensive enquiries were made both in Lincolnshire and the Peterborough area where the victims were living and we have worked closely alongside our colleagues in HM Revenue & Customs and Trading Standards to examine the wider business of illicit alcohol production.
“In March this year, the evidence gathered during the police investigation was reviewed in detail by a senior lawyer from the East Midlands complex case unit, who concluded that neither the cause of the explosion nor the identity of the person responsible could be established to a criminal standard.
"This means that Lincolnshire Police have been unable to charge anyone in connection with those five deaths.
“The events of last July were tragic and have shocked Boston town.
“It brought the issue of counterfeit alcohol into focus, and the community have worked with us supporting intelligence-led operations that disrupt the activities of those involved in this dangerous practice.”
