On April, 1 a gas explosion in downtown Durham left one person dead and more than two dozen others injured, and the blast damaged 18 buildings worth about $108.6 million, the News & Observer reports, citing county land records.
In the 100 block of North Duke St., contractors were using a boring machine when they struck a 2-inch gas line. Firefighters and employees from Dominion Energy were on the scene investigating the leak when an explosion happened around, resulting in a fire and a partial building collapse, according to city officials.
The damaged properties include buildings as far from the site as the N.C. Mutual building on West Chapel Hill St. and The Federal bar on West Main St., the Observer reports.