A crew working in downtown Durham, North Carolina, struck a 2-inch gas line with a directional drill on April 10, causing a gas leak that turned into a major explosion. The blast caused a two-story building to collapse and damaged several others. One person was killed, and 17 were injured.
The blast sparked a fire and killed Kong Lee, 61, the owner of Kaffeinate coffee shop, reported NBC Durham. Customers made it out of the shop seconds before the explosion. Lee was in the entranceway when the blast ripped through the building.
The incident damaged 15 buildings in the downtown area. Durhan fire Chief Robert Zoldos told NBC Durham that 25 people have been hospitalized, including nine Durham firefighters.
A web camera that monitors Durham's "can opener" bridge captured the explosion's sound and vibration in the video below.
Source: ENR, NBC Durham, WRAL-TV
