BOSTON (WHDH) - Three people were taken to the hospital after a crash caused three cars to catch on fire in the Ted Williams Tunnel in Boston Friday afternoon, officials said.
Shortly after 4 p.m., Boston firefighters headed to the scene of the two-alarm fire. SKY7-HD spotted smoke wafting out of both ends of the tunnel, and photos from inside the tunnel showed vehicles engulfed in flames. The fire began on the ramp from I-93 to the Massachusetts Pike heading east.
“There was a little bit of difficulty accessing the tunnel, but once we were able to access it, we got water on it quickly,” Boston Fire Deputy Chief James Greene said. “One of the vehicles was a hybrid vehicle. Those tend to burn longer and hotter.”
There were six people in total inside the three cars, and the three taken to the hospital suffered minor injuries, Greene said.
Some drivers reportedly abandoned their cars and walked out of the tunnel as choking black smoke filled the area.
The eastbound high-occupancy vehicle ramp and the frontage road heading into the tunnel were closed around 5:45 p.m., according to MassDOT. Both ramps have since been reopened.
A few fire trucks were at the D Street exit of the tunnel and traffic was backed up on the Massachusetts Pike heading into the city Friday afternoon.
People inside the tunnel at the time were alarmed about what they saw.
“It’s blowing up. The car’s going to explode,” one person could be heard saying on a video.
A charred car was seen being towed away from the scene Friday evening.
“The vehicle fire has caused damage in the ramp area, including damage to some lights, wall tiles, and pavement. The scene has been secured, cleaned and is safe for the traveling public. Any damage will be repaired at a later date,” MassDOT said in a statement Friday night.
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
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