Yahoo News 'Armageddon': Explosions in nearly 40 homes in towns near Boston leave teenager dead and 10 injured
A series of gas explosions have ripped through homes in three communities north of the US city of Boston, leaving one teenager dead and injuring at least 10 other people.
Authorities compared the scenes to ‘Armageddon’ after fires were ignited in at least 39 houses.
It is thought the blasts may have been caused by over-pressurised gas lines, but authorities are still investigating.
Governor Charlie Baker warned it could be weeks before the cause of the explosions is confirmed.
Leonel Rondon, 18, from Lawrence, died in hospital after a chimney toppled by an exploding house crashed into his car.
Massachusetts State Police urged all residents with homes serviced by Columbia Gas in the areas of Lawrence, Andover and North Andover to evacuate, causing widespread chaos.
Schools in all three communities were cancelled on Friday, and some were used as shelters for residents.
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By late Thursday all of the fires had been put out but many areas remained in darkness after power was cut in the area to help prevent further fires.
Lawrence General Hospital said it was treating 10 victims, including at least one in critical condition.
“It looked like Armageddon, it really did,” Andover Fire Chief Michael Mansfield told reporters.
“There were billows of smoke coming from Lawrence behind me. I could see pillars of smoke in front of me from the town of Andover.”
Joseph Solomon, police chief in nearby Methuen, said 20 to 25 homes were on fire in Lawrence when he responded, and there were so many fires “you can’t even see the sky”.
Aerial footage of the area showed homes that appeared to be completely torn apart by blasts.
Hours after the explosions, the gas supplier’s parent company issued a brief statement saying its crews were still performing safety checks in the area.
NiSource said: “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by today’s incident.
“The first priority for our crews at the scene is to ensure the safety of our customers and the community.”
