Gas blasts in Boston suburbs kills one, injures five

ANDOVER (Reuters) - Dozens of gas explosions killed at least one person, injured 12 more and forced thousands to evacuate from three communities north of Boston on Thursday.

Some 8,000 people were displaced after the blasts leveled dozens of homes and other buildings in Andover, North Andover and Lawrence. Firefighters raced for hours from one blaze to another and utility crews rushed to shut off gas and electricity to prevent further ignitions.

A 18-year-old Lawrence man, Leonel Rondon, died when an explosion caused a chimney to fall on his car, a spokeswoman at Massachusetts General Hospital said. Lawrence General Hospital said it had treated 13 people for injuries ranging from smoke inhalation to blast trauma.

“This has been obviously an incredibly difficult day,” Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker said in a news conference early on Friday.
Some 70 fires, explosions or investigations of gas odor were reported, Massachusetts State Police said.

Fire investigators suspected “over-pressurization of a gas main” belonging to Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, a unit of the utility NiSource Inc, caused the explosions, Andover Fire Chief Michael Mansfield told a news conference.

Fire and utility crews were going door to door overnight to conduct safety checks, officials said.

South Lawrence Mayor Daniel Rivera urged residents to stay away from their homes.