Cooper asks for federal help to rebuild after Durham explosion

The April 10 explosion rocked Durham's warehouse district, killing one man and injuring more than two dozen. It's still unclear who hit the gas line outside 115 N. Duke St.

"This explosion ... consumed an entire city block, causing heavy damage to nine businesses," Cooper wrote in a letter to SBA regional officials in Atlanta.

Cooper said the affected businesses reported losses of at least 40 percent from a year ago because of the blast.

"I certify that at least five small businesses in the disaster area have suffered substantial economic injury as a result of the disaster and are in need of financial assistance not otherwise available on reasonable terms," he wrote.

SBA loans would help offset the economic impact of the explosion, the governor said in a statement.

"Our thoughts are with the victims of this tragic incident, and state and local officials are continuing to investigate the cause of last week’s explosion," he said. "We must also help businesses that sustained damage get back on their feet and back to work as soon as possible."

According to Durham officials, a woman reported the smell of gas in the area at 9:11 a.m. Firefighters responded, but they could not locate the smell themselves.

At 9:28 a.m., an employee of PS Splicing LLC reported via the NC 811 app that a gas line had been cut. Ten minutes later, a call came in to 911 to report the same thing.

"We simply don't know what accounts for that time," Deputy City Manager Bo Ferguson said.

The city is also not certain the two 911 calls are related to the same event.

Louis Panzer, with NC 811, says workers must contact 911 as soon as it is safe if a gas line is broken.

"If there is a [gas] release, the law requires the first call be made to 911," he said.

Many contractors linked to location of Durham blast; one man in critical condition

Ferguson said city officials are still trying to obtain information from Utilis Engineering and Tower Engineering, two of a web of contractors and subcontractors who had permits to do work in the area when the explosion occurred.

The North Carolina Utilities Commission also has a safety investigation into the explosion, and they too are still waiting on answers.