The Boston gas company whose network of pipes exploded on Thursday, destroying 60 homes and killing a teenager, was obliterated on Friday for offering no plan or resolution for those affected.
Columbia Gas is the company whose pipes exploded in unison on Friday, causing mass terror in three suburban towns and leaving tens of thousands without power.
On Friday, as residents grappled with the devastating reality of not being able to go home, the company drew the ire Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and the mayor of one of the towns where the explosions occurred.
'They’re hiding from the problem. If they were here they’d have to see the major who’s here from State Police, they’d have to see the governor’s staff, my staff, the chief’s. They’d have to see their faces every five seconds.
'They’re not here,' Lawyer Mayor Dan Rivera said at a press conference. A state of emergency has now been declared which, the governor said, allows them to take the probe into what happened out of Columbia Gas's seemingly incompetent hands.
'Today, on a number of very significant issues, we heard one thing and something else happened,' he said.
Columbia Gas was due to start replacing its network of old pipes on Monday. It announced plans for the improved works on Thursday morning and said the network was 'ready to be retired'.
It's unclear as of yet whether the over-pressurized gas main, which has been informally blamed for the explosions, was one of the sets of pipes it needed to replace.
In a statement on Friday afternoon, the company said: 'What happened in the Merrimack Valley yesterday was a tragic incident.
'We are saddened to learn of the death of a young man as a result of these events. Our thoughts and continued support are with those who have been injured and affected.'
It said its focus was on 'providing as much support as possible' but it offered no apology nor did it take any responsibility for the explosions.
The company did not respond to DailyMail.com's inquiries about the disaster on Friday morning.
This was the aftermath of a gas explosion which destroyed a home in Lawrence, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston on Thursday in a string of blasts which terrorized three different towns and obliterated dozens of homes
Another home in Lawrence, is shown on Friday, the day after the sequence of explosions. Officials are yet to confirm it but they believe the cause was an over-pressurized gas main
The top floor windows of a property in Lawrence were all blown out as a result of the explosions. The gas company whose pipes were the ones which blew were due to replace them over the next few weeks
Part of a home which was affected in Lawrence is shown on Friday. Residents were out walking the streets despite warnings about staying away from the area
Senator Ed Markey tweeted on Friday: 'Shortly before 5pm yesterday, gas explosions ripped across Lawrence, Andover, and North Andover, setting dozens of homes ablaze, injuring more than 20, and killing one.
Senator Ed Markey labeled the gas company's response to the disaster 'totally unacceptable' on Friday. Columbia Gas has not replied to DailyMail.com's inquiries
'Columbia Gas didn't post its first update until after 9pm, 4+ hours after the disaster. Totally unacceptable.'
Dozens of homes and businesses were destroyed, 12 people were injured and 18-year-old Leonel Rondon was killed.
According to the state fire marshal, which is still investigating the cause of the accident, it is likely that an over pressurized gas main is what caused it.
It is not known if Columbia Gas was planning to replace it as part of its improvement works.
In its announcement of the project on Thursday, the company said: 'As with many other types of infrastructure, like roads, dams, and bridges, deterioration occurs over time and repairs or replacement are eventually needed.
'The old gas pipes installed in your neighborhood generations ago served us well, but they are now ready to be retired.
'If we do nothing, the cost to maintain and repair these older pipes will be higher than the cost to replace them.
A home in North Andover, another town which saw explosions, is pictured on Friday, the day after the explosions
A house in Lawrence was taped off by police on Friday. Many residents were forced to leave as a safety precaution regardless of whether their home had been blown up
A Columbia Gas envelope lies singed on the street. The company is yet to confirm whether the gas main which is believed to have been responsible was due to be replaced
'That is why we are taking proactive steps today, reducing costs to our customers.'
For the people driven out of their homes by the fires, it will be a long time before they can return to normal life, let alone their properties.
On Friday, schools in the area remain closed. The explosions caused 18,000 people across the city to lose power. Rondon was killed by flying debris which hit the car he was traveling in with two friends.
He was out celebrating getting his driver's license at the time.
Gov. Charlie Baker said on Thursday night that state and local authorities are investigating but that it could take days or weeks before they turn up answers.
The Massachusetts State Police released an image on Thursday of a map showing where the fires are. Officials said there were between 60 and 80 fires at one time
Leonel Rondon, 18, was killed when a chimney fell on his car when a house exploded. He was pronounced dead at Mass General Hospital at around 8:30pm
'This is still very much an active scene,' he said.
'There will be plenty of time later tonight, tomorrow morning and into the next day to do some of the work around determining exactly what happened and why.'
According to The Eagle Tribune, officials have alerted Holy Family Hospital in Methuen to expect multiple admissions.
The Massachusetts State Police said in a tweet on Thursday that residents in the affected areas who have gas service from Columbia Gas 'should evacuate their homes immediately if they have not done so'.
They updated the tweet to say that Lawrence Mayor Dan Rivera is asking all residents of South Lawrence to evacuate their homes.
'This is addition to evacuation of all Columbia Gas customers in Lawrence/Andover/North Andover,' state police said. 'Utility cos shutting off several thousand meters.'
Officials warned residents with gas service with Columbia Gas to leave their homes immediately, forcing thousands to flee. Above, a scene on Thursday
Crews work to knock down a fire in a home that was badly damaged in Lawrence on Thursday. The company that owns Columbia Gas says its crews are performing safety checks after a series of fires and explosions erupted in three communities north of Boston
By late Thursday, all of the fires had been doused but many areas remained silent and dark after residents fled and after power companies cut electricity to prevent further fires.
Lawrence Police Chief Roy Vasque told The Eagle Tribune that he's 'never seen anything like this.'
Earlier on Thursday, before the explosions, Columbia Gas said in a news release that it was upgrading natural gas lines in neighborhood across the state.
The company said the improvements would lead to long-term benefits including enhanced safety features and reliable service.
Work on the upgraded gas lines was expected to begin on Monday and continue until Friday, with gas service shut off during the installation.
Residents cover their face from the smoke while being evacuated from homes as firefighters battle a fire on Bowdoin Street in Lawrence
Link textbacklinkexchanges.com
https://textbacklinkexchanges.com/boston-gas-company-involved-in-explosions-is-slammed-for-hiding-from-the-problem/
News Pictures Boston gas company involved in explosions is slammed for 'hiding from the problem'
You don’t have to pack away your bikini just because you’re the wrong side of 20. These body-beautiful stars reveal their secrets to staying in shape and prove you can smoulder in a two-piece, whatever your age. Read on and be bikini inspired!
TEENS
Hayden Panettiere
Size: 8
Age: 18
Height: 5ft 1in
Weight: 8st
To achieve her kick-ass figure, Hayden – who plays cheerleader Claire Bennet in Heroes – follows the ‘quartering’ rule. She eats only a quarter of the food on her plate, then waits 20 minutes before deciding whether she needs to eat again.
Hayden says: “I don’t have a model’s body, but I’m not one of those crazy girls who thinks that they’re fat. I’m OK with what I have.”
Nicollette says: “I don’t like diets – I see it, I eat it! I believe in eating healthily with lots of protein, vegetables and carbs to give you energy.”
kim cattrall
Size: 10-12
Age: 52
Height: 5ft 8in
Weight: 9st 4lb
SATC star Kim swears by gym sessions with Russian kettle bells (traditional cast-iron weights) and the South Beach Diet to give her the body she wants. To avoid overeating, Kim has a radical diet trick – squirting lemon juice on her leftovers – so she won’t carry on picking.
Kim says: “I am no super-thin Hollywood actress. I am built for men who like women to look like women.”
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/newpix/2018/09/14/16/502B6EF900000578-6168675-image-a-7_1536940771783.jpg
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий