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Pascal Blasio, Jailed Over 2017 New Ferry Gas Blast, Dies in Prison

An independent ombudsman will investigate his death in custody, the standard procedure after any prisoner dies in England and Wales.

Overview

  • Officials confirmed the 64-year-old died on 28 February 2026 at category C HMP Rochester in Kent.
  • The Prisons and Probation Ombudsman has opened an inquiry into the circumstances of his death.
  • Blasio was serving a 20-year sentence after a retrial found him guilty of causing an explosion likely to endanger life and of fraud by false representation.
  • Court findings said he opened a gas valve and ignited the gas in his Home in Style showroom in March 2017, a blast that injured 81 people and damaged or destroyed about 63 properties.
  • His wife posted on X that he "lost his fight to cancer" and reiterated her claim that he was innocent.