Durham restaurant reopening months after gas explosion
Saint James Seafood will reopen Thursday, months after a gas explosion in downtown Durham.
Posted — UpdatedThe restaurant is expecting over 100 guests.
Remembering the explosion's impact on the community
The April 10 gas leak and explosion shook the Durham community. Kong Lee, the owner of Kaffeinate, a coffee shop located on the bottom level of the building where the gas leak occurred, was inside and died when the building exploded at 10:07 a.m.
The building was a total loss, and more than a dozen surrounding buildings, including Saint James, were also impacted.
"The lights that are hanging from the ceiling, they’re globes," he said. "When the explosion happened, they all burst. We didn't have electricity. We didn't have gas."
On Aug. 9, the Durham Fire Department released a report that ruled the explosion an accident and identified Optic Cable Technology as the company that punctured a 3/4-inch gas line while drilling to install underground cables. Two people -- Kong and Jay Rambeaut, a PSNC worker who responded to the gas leak, died.
• Credits
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