In the aftermath of the deadly Dallas apartment explosion that leveled an Oak Cliff building and claimed at least three lives, a new accusation has emerged. The attorney representing the destroyed complex says a North Texas drilling company triggered the gas leak that led to the catastrophic blast, adding a fresh dimension to an investigation already drawing intense scrutiny.

Pointing the Finger at a Drilling Company

Just two days after the explosion tore through the Clyde apartments, Geoff Henley of the Henley and Henley law firm came forward with a pointed claim. In a statement shared with CBS News Texas, Henley alleged that an Addison-based company, Barba Drilling Company, was responsible for the gas leak.

According to Henley, a truck belonging to Barba Drilling was photographed at the site, boring at the complex at the moment the leak occurred. He described the vehicle’s position in stark terms, saying it sat at the very center of the disaster.

Henley noted that drone footage his team employed, along with images from news outlets, showed the truck reduced to a charred shell. Before the explosion, he said, it had been a mustard-colored rig marked with a large “B” logo built around a drill bit. The transformation of that vehicle, in his account, underscores how close it was to the point of detonation.

A Complex Caught in the Dark

Henley’s statement struck a dual tone, expressing both cooperation and frustration. He emphasized that the Clyde complex was working with investigators and assisting with housing needs for displaced residents, while also offering condolences to those affected by death, injury, and displacement.

At the same time, he voiced clear frustration over a lack of access and information. He said the complex was trying to help authorities find answers but was not getting its own questions answered or access to its only property. Henley argued that the complex was forced to assemble the puzzle one piece at a time, even though Atmos Energy and government investigators appeared to hold a far more complete picture of how the catastrophe unfolded.

Efforts to Reach the Company

CBS News Texas attempted to contact Barba Drilling for comment but received no answer when calling on Saturday. No email was publicly listed on the company’s social media pages or its U.S. Department of Transportation company snapshot.

That federal snapshot offered a few details about the company’s standing. It indicated that Barba Drilling still held an active carrier registration with the agency as of 2026 and had recorded zero crashes over the previous 24 months.

The Human Toll

Behind the legal maneuvering lies profound personal loss. Thursday’s explosion left families reeling, and the stories emerging from the wreckage paint a picture of sudden devastation.

Kacee Brocker, who had just moved into her apartment at The Clyde the week before, returned home Thursday afternoon to find it consumed by fire sparked by the blast. Though grateful her family was safe and that she had relatives to stay with, she struggled to process losing nearly everything she owned. She had also been unable to find the family cat, Shirley, and described sitting and crying for hours, unsure of what to do.

A Community Responds

In the face of tragedy, the surrounding community moved quickly to help. The response took several forms:

• At Mission Oak Cliff, a church and food distribution center, donations were collected throughout Friday morning for affected residents.
• Pastor Gannon Sims said volunteers were working with the city to obtain lists of exactly what each family needed in order to begin rebuilding their lives.
• A vigil for the victims was held Friday night, drawing the community together in mourning.

Identifying the Victims

The first victim was publicly identified on Friday. Attorneys for the family of Sylvia Collins confirmed she was among those killed in the Oak Cliff blast. Paul Wingo of Hamilton Wingo, LLP, said the family was devastated by the loss and focused on mourning Sylvia while seeking answers about the circumstances of the tragedy.

Two other people, including a child, were also killed. As of the latest reports, they had not yet been publicly identified.

A Separate Lawsuit Targets Atmos Energy

While Henley’s statement focused on the drilling company, another legal action has pointed in a different direction. The firm Kherkher Garcia, LLP, filed a suit on behalf of one burned resident against Atmos Energy, alleging the utility ignored warning signs of a gas leak before the building erupted.

According to the firm, resident Onecimo Ponce Mendoza had been asleep after working a night shift when he woke to a loud noise, encountered fire and smoke, and escaped with his roommate while suffering severe burns and smoke inhalation. The lawsuit claims Atmos failed to monitor gas conditions, ignored known risks, and did not warn residents about potential leaks.

The firm’s founding partner, Jesus Garcia, Jr., sharply criticized the utility, citing what he described as a history of preventable tragedies. He accused Atmos of routinely failing to conduct operations safely around natural gas, resulting in numerous avoidable disasters, and vowed to pursue accountability and maximum damages.

The suit seeks compensation for a range of harms, including past and future pain and suffering, impairment, disfigurement, mental anguish, medical expenses, and ongoing medical monitoring.

Competing Accounts of the Cause

The two legal claims highlight a central question still hanging over the investigation: who, exactly, caused the leak. Atmos Energy has not released a statement responding to the lawsuit. However, the company has said that a construction crew unrelated to it damaged a natural gas line near the property. Notably, Atmos did not specify whether Barba Drilling was that crew, leaving the precise chain of responsibility unresolved.

The Bottom Line

The Dallas apartment explosion has left a community grieving, families displaced, and at least three people dead, including a child. As survivors begin the painful work of rebuilding, competing legal claims are emerging over what triggered the blast, with the complex’s attorney blaming a drilling company and a resident’s lawsuit targeting Atmos Energy.

With investigators still piecing together the cause and key parties offering differing accounts, the full truth of how the tragedy occurred remains uncertain. For the victims and their families, the search for answers, and accountability, is only beginning. As officials continue their work, more details are expected to surface in the days ahead.