Brand new veterinary hospital explodes after car hits gas line, North Carolina police say

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WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — A brand new veterinary hospital exploded Tuesday morning in North Carolina after a car crashed into a nearby gas meter, authorities said.

About 20 minutes before the explosion in Wilmington, a car had run off the road and hit the gas lines that feed into the Eastern Carolina Veterinary Medical Center, which was still under construction, Wilmington Police Department spokesperson Greg Willett said at a news conference. The crash was a hit and run, as the driver had fled the scene in their vehicle before police arrived, he said.

The building had been quickly evacuated, and while firefighters were searching the building to make sure everyone got out, it exploded, said Wilmington Fire Department spokesperson Rebekah Thurston at the news conference. Three firefighters were injured and subsequently hospitalized — two with non-life-threatening injuries and another with severe burns to their hands and arms, Thurston said.

No veterinary staff, construction crew members or pets were harmed in the explosion, Eastern Carolina Veterinary Referral said in a Facebook post.

Police found the vehicle and the driver, who was taken into custody, authorities said. The driver was under evaluation by the North Carolina Highway Patrol after showing signs of impairment, Willett said.

The area and surrounding roads would remain closed until the fire department concludes its investigation of the explosion, officials said.

Eastern Carolina Veterinary Referral had expected to open its new building in September, according to its website. The medical center planned to offer 24/7 emergency care for pets.