By KATE FELDMAN
Dozens of gas explosions tore through numerous homes in Boston late Thursday, leading to mass evacuations of several neighborhoods and raging fires across three communities.
Massachusetts State Police responded to 70 separate explosions in Lawrence, Andover and North Andover by 7:30 p.m., where between 60 and 100 homes were on fire, Methuen Police Chief Joseph Solomon told the Eagle-Tribune.
He added that there were so many fires “you can't even see the sky.”
The cause of the explosions wasn’t immediately clear.
Authorities said Columbia Gas lines were being “depressurized” slowly but told any residents who used the service to leave their homes. Power and electric were also being shut off in the affected areas, according to police.
Hours before the explosions started, the gas company had announced that it would be upgrading its lines across Massachusetts for “long-term benefits” included “enhanced safety features, reliability of service for years to come, less future maintenance work in your neighborhood and system support for amenities like fire pits, outdoor grills and pool heaters.”
According to nydailynews, The North Andover Police said multiple fires sparked at homes with gas lines. A robocall was sent out in Andover instructing residents to shut off the gas in their homes.
Four victims were being treated at Lawrence General Hospital, according to the Eagle-Tribune.
The areas are currently being evacuated and Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority buses were being used for evacuation vehicles,
Several exits on Interstate 495 were closed and the commuter rail stopped running south of the explosions.
“If you smell gas do not go in your home,” warned the town manager of North Andover, where the local high school was set up as an evacuation site.
Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera also advised residents to evacuate if they smell gas while Columbia Gas sweeps the area.
Comments
Post a Comment