BOSTON (WHDH) - An explosion rang through downtown Boston on Sunday after a manhole cover flew off and smoke poured into the air.
There were two explosions at the same intersection near City Hall Plaza.
Manholes were sent flying into the air and landed with a thud in the middle of the road.
This all began with an underground explosion that knocked a cover off of its base, right in the middle of the intersection of Cambridge Street and Sudbury Street.
Flames shot up several feet.
While fire crews worked to secure the area, another explosion sent a second manhole hurtling toward the sky.
Crews from Eversource were on the scene for an hour.
“What we believe it was an electrical failure and there may have gas in the area, but we are still investigating the causes at this time,” said a spokesperson for Eversource.
National Grid checked gas levels. The cables that burned underground were taken out as crews worked to clean up the manholes.
People who saw the explosion say it was fate that no one happened to be passing by the area.
Eversource said the area is now safe and that this was a rare and isolated incident.
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