An explosion that came from a manhole shocked residents of Boston's Jamaica Plain neighborhood and left dozens of them without power.
"There was smoke pouring out of the manhole cover," said Dan Valachovic, who grabbed his phone and captured the explosion on camera. "So I started the video, and soon, the flames shot out."
WATCH ANYTIME FOR FREE
 |
Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. |
Moments before the explosion, cars and even a bicyclist had just passed by.
Get updates on what's happening in Boston to your inbox. Sign up for our News Headlines newsletter.
"I heard a boom," said Donna Patterson, who was working inside the Dunkin Donuts across the street. "I was like, 'What was that?' I came out, and all you see is black some up in the sky, coming out of the manhole, people running around like crazy."
Just before the explosion, the lights started to flicker.
"I was in the back washing dishes when my lights kept on flashing," said Patterson. "I thought it was a bulb going out."
Local
In-depth news coverage of the Greater Boston Area.
All of the businesses on the block lost power and had to close.
Valachovic, who owns Vee Vee Restaurant, had to shut down for the night. He'll salvage what he can, but he had to cancel all reservations and takeout orders -- thousands of dollars down the drain at a moment when every dollar counts.
"Very frustrating," said Valachovic. "It's not a great time for restaurants in general. We lost all of our business tonight."
Eversource says it's investigating the cause of the explosion.
About 60 people in the area lost power, Eversource told NBC10 Boston Thursday evening.
