BROOKLINE, MASS. (WHDH) - Eversource and National Grid are investigating after manhole explosions rocked a part of Route 9 in Brookline on Wednesday night, leading to homes being evacuated and part of the road being shut down.
Brookline fire crews confirmed that an underground gas leak contributed to an explosion that sent at least two 100-pound manholes flying into the side of a building around 6 p.m.
“It sounded like a cannon,” Josh Nissenbaum said. “It just went up and the manhole just flew up into the air. We just ducked down.”
Nissenbaum and Rod Rosales saw the explosions right in front of them.
“I see smoke coming up out of the first manhole and then I walk up just a little bit further and I see the second manhole just exploded,” Rosales recalled. “I looked like you were just flipping a penny.”
“We were sitting in our house and the whole house shook,” a resident said.
The explosions shattered the window to an adjacent business, but no injuries were reported. Fire crews said they were already in the area investigating fire and carbon monoxide alarms.
“We believe it was an underground explosion caused by gas or Eversource,” said Brookline Deputy Fire Chief Patrick Canney Wednesday. We’re working on what started it, right now we are venting out the manholes, we’re ventilating basements, eliminating the possibility of any carbon monoxide.”
Eversource crews remained on scene late into the night, and National Grid is investigating.
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