Gas explosion downtown Durham (neighborhood, construction, contractors)

[gball721]

Originally Posted by C_Lan

My wife works near the explosion. She texted me that there was one fatality and 16 injured. Her employer sent people home.

glad your wife is safe.

friends of ours daughter goes to Durham School of the Arts which is really close, and she is safe. they obviously heard the explosion big time.

[Heel82]

Originally Posted by gball721

glad your wife is safe.

friends of ours daughter goes to Durham School of the Arts which is really close, and she is safe. they obviously heard the explosion big time.

Yes, my cousin goes to school there. They were sent home.

[Renownedtheworldaround]

Looks like the Prescient building at Brightleaf was destroyed.

Edit: WRAL mentioning that the death toll has been upped to two people now.

[cjseliga]

Originally Posted by Renownedtheworldaround

Looks like the Prescient building at Brightleaf was destroyed.

Edit: WRAL mentioning that the death toll has been upped to two people now.

111 N. Duke St. which "shared" a wall with Prescient building looks quite damaged as well and will probably have to be torn down.

[Renownedtheworldaround]

Originally Posted by cjseliga

111 N. Duke St. which "shared" a wall with Prescient building looks quite damaged as well and will probably have to be torn down.

It looks like the roof collapsed near the side where the explosion happened.

The “Research Laboratory” building across Duke Street and the building on the corner of Duke/Morgan both have blown out windows as well.

[919 rtp]

I know people with kids at DSA and they commented on the great job the school did during the emergency. I'm always amazed at the work of first responders and thankful for all the work they do.

[NM posts]

The coffee shop owner was the one killed - so sad.

[LM117]

Originally Posted by m378

Apparently a contractor was digging and hit a 2 inch gas line

Stupid question here, but didn’t anybody bother to call and find out where the gas lines are before digging?

[boardjnky4]

Originally Posted by LM117

Stupid question here, but didn’t anybody bother to call and find out where the gas lines are before digging?

Of course they did that, but they're not always documented entirely well.

[hertfordshire]

Originally Posted by LM117

Stupid question here, but didn’t anybody bother to call and find out where the gas lines are before digging?

I'll never forget about 10 years ago when a contractor hit a gas line at the Tryon/Kildare Farm Rd intersection in Cary, which caused fire to erupt straight up into the air until they could get it cut off.