A North Carolina beach town was rocked Tuesday morning when a hit-and-run driver crashed into a veterinary office gas line, triggering a fiery explosion that sent at least three firefighters to the hospital.

Wilmington Police Department officials said a driver veered off the road and ruptured a gas line near Eastern Carolina Veterinary Medical Center at about 11:30 a.m.

The building exploded about 20 minutes later as firefighters searched inside, scattering debris across the busy road and sending a large plume of black smoke into the sky. 

Debris could be seen flying through the air after the explosion Tuesday morning in Wilmington, N.C. (Jordan Branyon/TMX)

The explosion happened less than a mile from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington.

North Carolina Highway Patrol and other federal partners are assisting with the investigation, according to police.

Debris is scattered across a roadway in Wilmington, N.C., Tuesday, after a gas leak resulted in a building explosion. (Ken Blevins/Starnews/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

The Wilmington police and fire departments did not immediately respond to additional inquiries from Fox News Digital.