New video obtained by ABC-7 shows Sun Metro explosion
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- ABC-7 has obtained surveillance video of the February 2025 Sun Metro explosion that killed two people.
The video shows various angles of the explosion, including inside the bay where the explosion happened, as well as outside of the facility. The videos show a bus getting put on a lift, then you see the bus drop and tilt to the side. Afterward an explosion causes flames to consume the maintenance building.
ABC-7 reached out to the City of El Paso for comment, but they declined an interview due to potential litigation in the future. Laura Cruz-Acosta, a spokesperson for the city, gave ABC-7 a statement that reads in part below:
"The City remains deeply mindful of the families and employees affected by this tragic event. This was a devastating incident for our organization and our community, and we ask that the media handle the released information with sensitivity and care out of respect for those impacted."
Public Records Request
In February, ABC-7 filed a public records request under the Texas Public Information Act asking for surveillance video of the explosion. Initially, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said the city could withhold the records due to the pending investigation.
Once the investigation was closed, however, ABC-7 renewed its request for the surveillance video in August. After several months and another Attorney General ruling, we finally got the video.
Cause of Explosion
In August, ABC-7 obtained documents detailing the cause of the explosion. The document, compiled by investigators with the El Paso Fire Marshal's Office, states the explosion was caused by "a compressed natural gas (CNG) cylinder that was punctured by an adjacent control panel for a hydraulic lift, as a Sun Metro bus unintentionally fell off a hydraulic lift."
The two people who died were working on a Brio Bus elevated on a hydraulic lift. The bus slid off of the lift and fell on the floor, exploding into flames just moments later. The videos show that the explosion blew out parts of the windows and roof of the maintenance building.
Watch the video released by the City of El Paso in the media player above.
