2 Eversource workers injured after manhole explosion in Boston
BOSTON – Two Eversource workers were taken to the hospital after a manhole explosion in Boston Tuesday. It happened at about 6 p.m. on Bowdoin Street near the Massachusetts State House.
Eversource said a crew was performing routine maintenance on a piece of underground equipment in the area at the time. The extent of the workers' injuries is unknown.
"There was some malfunction with the mechanical equipment that caused the explosion," said Boston Fire Commissioner Paul Burke. "They're very skilled workers, they know what they're doing."
Eversource is working to determine exactly what happened. OSHA is also investigating the incident.
There are no power outages in the area. Firefighters monitored the air quality in the surrounding buildings and determined them to be safe.
Witnesses described frantic moments and fear following the explosion. "His clothes were all burned off," said Jose Rosario. "I could see his skin."
Rosario lives on Bowdoin Street near the explosion. "He was just screaming, like it came from a horror movie. He was screaming," Rosario said.
Through the thick smoke billowing from the ground, he could see the workers needed help. "I was so in shock that I was emotional. I almost started to cry with my mother, explaining to her what just happened, what I saw," Rosario said.
State Police said motorists and pedestrians should expect detours in the area.
