Wilmington gas explosion: What caused the massive accident on New Center Drive, fire at veterinary clinic

Wilmington police responded to a gas leak on Tuesday after a vehicle struck a gas line on New Centre Drive from Bob King Drive

Published on: Aug 19, 2025, 23:35:15 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Wilmington police responded to a gas leak on Tuesday after a vehicle struck a gas line on New Centre Drive from Bob King Drive. The gas line fed the future Eastern Carolina Veterinary Medical Center building. It exploded almost immediately with several injuries reported, Wilmington Police Department Public Information Officer Greg Willett said at a news conference.

A massive explosion was reported in Wilmington on Tuesday (Unsplash)

“Avoid New Centre Dr. WPD and WFD are currently on the scene of a traffic crash in the area. A natural gas line has ruptured. Most of New Centre Dr. is shut down to traffic,” the New Hanover County initially posted on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.

Local media outlet Star News Online cited Wilmington Fire Department Public Information Officer Rebekah Thurston to report that at least three firefighters were hospitalized with injuries. Two of them reportedly sustained minor injuries, while one received severe hand burns.

Scary videos surface

No civilians were in the building at the time of the explosion. The loud boom was heard just after the explosion that took place just after 11 AM local time on Tuesday. Locals posted videos on social media, showing a huge plume of smoke coming from the building.

The driver fled the scene, Willett said, according to the report. The suspect was later caught and is in custody. They have not been identified yet. No charges have been announced.

Students at the University of North Carolina Wilmington and in Forest Hills said they could feel the explosion. A building on New Centre Drive was damaged. The building was under renovation and was going to become the new location for the Eastern Carolina Veterinary Medical Center. According to its website, the facility had planned to open in September.

Most of New Centre Drive is closed off to traffic at the time of writing this story.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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