Clinton Township fatal explosion: Business owner in court Thursday

CLINTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (FOX 2) - The owner of a Clinton Township building that exploded last year, killing one person, is due in court for a preliminary exam Thursday.

Noor Noel Kestou, 32, of Commerce Township, was charged with involuntary manslaughter for the March 4, 2024 explosion.

The hearing started Thursday morning but the judge in the courtroom ordered witnesses to all be sequestered – meaning they are not to watch live streaming proceedings from the court. Because of this, live streaming of the preliminary hearing was removed.

We'll have an update on what transpired in court later in the day on Thursdya.

Building owner due in court after Clinton Twp explosion

The owner of a Clinton Township building that exploded last year, killing one person, is due in court Thursday for a preliminary exam. Officials said the building was illegally housing canisters of nitrous oxide and butane when it exploded.

The backstory:

Before the blast, a fire was reported at the building that housed Goo and Select Distributors at 15 Mile and Groesbeck. When firefighters arrived, they were met with explosions sending shrapnel in all directions.

The blasts were so strong that they sent pieces of metal flying as far as a mile away, with a 19-year-old man who was ¼ mile away being hit and killed by a flying canister.

Debris from a fire and explosions in Clinton Township on March 4, 2024.

According to the Select Distributors website, the company is a wholesale supplier of vapes, CBD products, hookahs, lighters, and more. Clinton Township Fire Chief Tim Duncan said the company had nitrous oxide, butane canisters, and lighter fluid inside. These materials exploded repeatedly.

Barry Miller, with the city's building department, previously said that the business was issued a certificate of occupancy to operate a store. The business was not supposed to have canisters of nitrous oxide or butane.

"Our last inspection did not show this amount of material in this building," Duncan said. "Without those tanks, we don’t have this issue."

That inspection was in 2022.