2019 Durham gas explosion: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 18:06, 17 November 2020

Revision as of 13:36, 13 December 2020

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|caption = Scene of the explosion in March 2020, cleared and fenced off

|date = {{start date|2019|4|10}}

|time = 10:07&nbsp;am.<ref name="cbs17">{{cite news |date=April 11, 2019 |accessdateaccess-date = April 12, 2019|title=Crews combing over scene of massive Durham explosion that killed 2, injured 25 |url=https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/durham-county-news/crews-combing-over-scene-of-massive-durham-explosion-that-killed-1-injured-17/1916964506 |agency=CBS17 }}</ref>

|place = 115 North Duke Street, [[Bright Leaf Historic District|Brightleaf]], [[Durham, North Carolina|Durham]], [[North Carolina]]

|coordinates =

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|participants =

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|fatalities = 2<ref name="N&O">{{Cite news|title = ‘He had the biggest, purest heart.’ Coffee shop owner’s children pay tribute to their father. | work = News & Observer| accessdateaccess-date = April 12, 2019| date = April 10, 2019| url = https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article229065364.html}}</ref>

|reported injuries = 25<ref name="cbs17"/>

|reported property damage = Destruction and collapse of buildings located at 111 and 115 N. Duke St, damaged vehicles including [[Porsche|Porsches]], windows shattered in and around Brightleaf District<ref name="CNN">{{cite news |date=April 10, 2019 |accessdateaccess-date = April 12, 2019|title=Emergency responders were evacuating people in Durham, N.C., when a gas explosion killed 2|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/10/us/durham-explosion-north-carolina/index.html |agency=CNN }}</ref>

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On April 10, 2019, a [[gas explosion]] occurred near downtown [[Durham, North Carolina]] at the 115 block of North Duke Street in the [[Bright Leaf Historic District|Brightleaf District]]. The blast destroyed several buildings and damaged dozens of others,<ref name="bloomberg">{{Cite news|title = Gas Explosion Shakes Downtown Durham, North Carolina | work = Bloomberg| accessdateaccess-date = April 12, 2019| date = April 10, 2019| url = https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-10/urgent-building-explosion-in-durham-north-carolina-gas-leak-cited}}</ref> killing two people and injuring 25 others, including 9 firefighters.<ref name="DukeChronicle">{{cite news |date=April 11, 2019 |accessdateaccess-date = April 12, 2019|title=Durham explosion: 9 firefighters injured, raising total injured to 25 |url=https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2019/04/durham-explosion-kaffeinate-coffee-shop-firefighter-injures-25-total |agency=Duke Chronicle }}</ref> City officials have cited a gas leak to be the cause of the blast.

On June 22nd, 2020, four separate lawsuits were filed in relation to the explosion. Each lawsuit represented separate victims of the blast, including one of the two deceased.<ref name="NewsObserver">{{cite news |date=June 22, 2020 |accessdateaccess-date = October 4, 2020|title=Raleigh law firm sues 8 companies in deadly downtown Durham gas explosion |url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/durham-county/article243712772.html |agency=''News & Observer'' }}</ref>

==Background==

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At 10:07{{nbsp}}am, an explosion was reported near downtown Durham.

The damage was widespread, as businesses roughly two blocks away suffered damage although this was mostly limited to shattered windows. Fifteen buildings suffered damage in and around Brightleaf.<ref name="abc11">{{Cite news|title = LATEST: Duke Hospital updates status of patients injured in deadly Durham explosion | accessdateaccess-date = April 12, 2019| date = April 11, 2019| url = https://abc11.com/latest-duke-hospital-updates-status-of-patients-injured-in-deadly-durham-explosion/5241686/}}</ref> The coffee shop, Kaffeinate, was reduced to rubble as a result of the blast. An adjacent building holding a [[Porsche]] collection was destroyed. An office building directly in front of the coffee shop suffered extensive damage to its interior and exterior. The explosion could be felt several miles away, and a large smoke cloud from the resulting fire could be seen from miles away — this smoke cloud also showed up on weather radar.

The Durham School of the Arts suffered damage to its interior, although no injuries were reported.

===Casualties===

25 people were treated for injuries and at least 10 people were sent to local hospitals. [[Duke Regional Hospital]] and [[Duke University Hospital]] each received 5 patients. Kong Lee, the owner of Kaffeinate, was killed in the blast while preparing to evacuate the store. Jay Rambeaut, a [[Dominion Energy]] first responder, was sent to [[UNC Health Care|UNC Medical Center]], where he died from his injuries on April 25.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article229664674.html|title=Utility worker injured in Durham gas explosion has died|last=Vaughan|first=Dawn|date=April 25, 2019|work=The News & Observer|access-date=}}</ref>

Five of the injured were in critical condition. Nine of the 25 injured were responding firefighters. One firefighter suffered major injuries and underwent surgery. [[Vincent Price (educator)|Vincent E. Price]], the president of [[Duke University]], confirmed that 10 Duke employees were injured in the explosion.<ref name="Duke">{{Cite news|title = 'Frightening and sad day': Duke employees injured in Durham explosion, President Price says | accessdateaccess-date = April 12, 2019| date = April 10, 2019| url = https://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2019/04/durham-explosion-duke-university-injuries-eight-employees-injured-north-carolina-gas-leak-explosion|agency= Duke Chronicle}}</ref>

==Aftermath==