Wilmington building explodes after car strikes gas line, video shows

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WBTW) – An explosion at a building in Wilmington, North Carolina, sent a tower of smoke and debris into the sky on Tuesday, video of the incident shows.

The incident took place a little after 11 a.m. at the offices of the Eastern Carolina Veterinary Medical Center, the Wilmington Fire Department said. The explosion occurred about 20 minutes after a car struck and ruptured the gas lines feeding the building.

Footage captured by a bystander shows the fire burning in one part of the building after an explosion rocks the area. A large amount of debris — some of it flaming — is seen falling back to the ground.

“Oh my gosh,” the person filming the aftermath can be heard repeating.

No civilians were hurt in the explosion, officials said, but three firefighters who had arrived to investigate the gas leak suffered injuries. All three were taken to a hospital — two with non-life-threatening injuries and one with severe burns to their hands and arms — according to officials.

The building housed the offices of the Eastern Carolina Veterinary Medical Center, but the facility has yet to open, an official confirmed at a news conference on Tuesday afternoon. Firefighters were doing a primary search to ensure the building was empty when the explosion took place.

“Obviously it’s scary, but this is what we train for every day,” a fire official said.

The driver who hit the gas lines had left the scene by the time the fire department arrived, but was apprehended a short time later. There were “signs of impairment on the driver,” an official said.

The incident is currently under investigation.