Bio

Public records and news reports do not show details about Antonín Blažek's childhood, family, or schooling. What is documented is that he lived in a ground-floor apartment at 6. května Street No. 39 in Frenštát pod Radhoštěm. Neighbors described him as a troubled eccentric. He had a foreclosure on his flat. Reports also note that he had locksmith skills.

Murder Story

The explosion took place on 17 February 2013 in a three-storey panel house at 6. května Street No. 39 in Frenštát pod Radhoštěm. A gas explosion and subsequent fire destroyed the house. The explosion was caused by 57-year-old Antonín Blažek, who lived in a ground-floor apartment. Neighbours described him as a troubled eccentric who had a foreclosure on his flat. Blažek wanted to take revenge on his neighbours after a number of disputes.

In the early morning hours he locked both entrances to the house and broke the keys in the locks. He let natural gas leak into the house from his apartment and from the main gas shut-off valve in the basement. He removed the cone valve from the main gas valve using his locksmith skills. Vilém Špaček, a neighbor from the opposite apartment, was awakened by noise and the smell of gas and disturbed him in the basement.

The perpetrator replied, "You're responsible for this!" and entered his apartment. Shortly afterwards he initiated an explosion in an unknown manner. He was badly burned and burning, then climbed to the second floor and laughed at a surviving neighbor who was looking for his children in the ruins. He did not reach the top floor and succumbed to his injuries on the stairs.

Six people, including Antonín Blažek, died in the rubble of the house. Eleven others were injured, two of whom were in critical condition. Police said that if Blažek had not been interrupted, the entire house would have been filled with gas within half an hour and a later explosion would likely have destroyed the whole building and killed all sixteen people inside. One of the seriously injured later died from his injuries.

A large number of people showed solidarity with the victims and survivors. About twenty million crowns were collected in a special account to provide new housing for the residents of the destroyed house.