FF's Helmet Camera Shows Fatal NC Blast's Aftermath

Aug. 15, 2019
Durham Fire Department released footage showing the destruction caused by an April 11 gas explosion that killed one person and injured 25 others, including nine firefighters.

Video from a firefighter's helmet camera shows the aftermath of a fatal North Carolina gas explosion in April.

The footage—some of it redacted—was released this week by the Durham Fire Department, and it shows what crews encountered April 11 when they responded to the incident. As firefighters reached the scene, they made their way through the wreckage in order to begin dousing fires started by the blast.

Investigators determined that the explosion was caused when a gas line was accidentally cut by cable employees, WNCN-TV reports. Officials also deemed it accidental. 

Kong Lee, a 61-year-old coffee shop owner, was killed in the explosion. The blast, as well as the ensuing partial building collapse and fire, injured 25 people, including nine firefighters.