Manhole explosions send 1 to hospital, force evacuations

BOSTON (AP) — Two manholes exploded in downtown Boston on Thursday morning, shattering a window, forcing the evacuation of two buildings and sending one person to the hospital.

The explosions were reported at about 8:30 a.m. near the High Street and Federal Street area in the Financial District. There was no immediate word on the cause.

The Boston Fire Department said in a tweet that two buildings were evacuated and one person was taken to a hospital by emergency medical services.

The fire department was also checking area buildings for smoke possible elevated levels of carbon monoxide.

The emergency response to the area was also causing traffic headaches. Two ramps from Interstate 93 in the area were closed to traffic, according to the state Transportation Department.