CHICOPEE, Mass (WWLP) – Dallaire Avenue in Chicopee is back open after being closed for hours due to a “combustible incident” inside of a manhole at Grattan Street Friday.
A Chicopee Electric Light worker was in this manhole on Grattan St. when something inside exploded around 8:30 a.m. The utility company was already doing work on Dallaire St. when the incident took place.
Chicopee Police Officer Mike Wilk said the worker was taken to the hospital but was awake and talking in the ambulance. The explosion was heard throughout the neighborhood. Wilk said there were power outages due to the incident.
“All I heard is what sounded like a manhole cover rattling, and then a lot of commotion,” said Lauren Fournier of Chicopee.
One woman who lives across Grattan St. and a few houses down told 22News she heard loud noises while in her kitchen.
“I heard a bang, and then I heard another bang,” said Daisy Lastra of Chicopee. “So, of course, I look out the window to see what’s going on and I see the police. when I came out, I sid oh no, someone’s in that hole. Then, I knew the bangs came from there.”
Grattan St. was down to one lane as crews worked to repair the manhole, and restore power to the customers in the area that lost it.
22News reached out to Chicopee Electric Light for more information on this explosion, but we have not heard back.
Latest News:
