North Carolina blast leaves one dead, 17 injured

(NBC News) A ruptured natural gas line is being blamed for a deadly explosion that leveled a downtown Durham, North Carolina building.

Fire officials say a call to 911 reported a strong smell of gas at 9:30 Wednesday morning.

Firefighters began to evacuate nearby buildings, but just after 10 the gas ignited in a massive explosion.

“The whole apartment shook, debris from the ceilings, the windows blew out. It was just crazy,” said Brittany Tipper, who lives nearby.

The explosion claimed at least one life and wounded 17 others.

Five buildings were damaged. One was completely destroyed.

“It looks like the front of the Pentagon at 9-11 on a very, very, very small scale, comparatively, because it’s got the same sort of damage,” said Durham Fire Chief Robert Zoldos. “It’s got collapse in the middle, it’s got some cantilever debris on the side. And I say that ’cause I was a 9-11 responder to the Pentagon.”

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