(Reuters) - A fiery gas explosion triggered by a construction worker in Durham, North Carolina, on Wednesday killed at least one person and injured at least 15 others, police said.
Victims including a seriously injured firefighter were taken to area hospitals following the blast, which occurred shortly before 10:30 a.m. EDT (1430 GMT), Durham police spokesman Wil Glenn said.
The explosion and fire, which partially collapsed a building, was caused by the rupture of a 2-inch (5 cm) gas line caused by a contractor who was boring under sidewalk, Glenn told reporters near the scene.
Local television showed firefighters dousing the flames, which extended beyond the building that blew up and collapsed.
Local authorities closed many downtown roads and urged residents to avoid the area.
Police did not immediately identify the person killed.
The force of the blast shattered glass at buildings owned by Duke University, injuring several employees, the university said on its website. Students, faculty and staff at Duke's downtown campus buildings were evacuated, it said.
Many of the injured were taken to Duke University Hospital, which did not immediately release information on conditions of the patients it was treating.
The local gas company, PSNC Energy, a subsidiary of Dominion Energy Inc , said one of its employees "responded to a call about a third-party damage to a natural gas line and the explosion occurred shortly thereafter."
PSNC said in a statement that its crews were on the scene and had shut off the flow of gas to the area shortly after 11 a.m. (1500 GMT).
The explosion also prompted the evacuation of the nearby Durham School of the Arts, but caused no injuries, the school said.
(Reporting by Peter Szekely in New York; Editing by James Dalgleish)
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