By April Newell
4-18-2014
Twelve people, including elderly and children, were hurt after an explosion in a Dorchester duplex Wednesday night.
The Boston Fire Department reported that the cause of the explosion appears to be a natural gas leak.
The fire department tweeted a picture of the collapsing two and a half-story house with a caption reading that ‘two elderly residents are seriously injured’ and were taken to Brigham and Women’s Hospital to treat their burns. An additional ten were hurt by shattered glass and flying debris during the explosion.
The fire on Hansborough Street was raging on all floors of the home by the time firefighters responded at 9:20 p.m. By 10:45 p.m., the flames were extinguished.
As a safety precaution, surrounding homes were also evacuated. After the fire, Mayor Martin J. Walsh and Boston Police Commissioner William Evans arrived at the home to help the temporarily homeless residents. The city brought in MBTA buses to keep the evacuated neighbors warm until temporary shelter was available.