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Manhole Fires Cause Power Outages In Boston

BOSTON (CBS) -- An icy East Boston neighborhood was plunged into darkness by a power failure that stretched into the night on Sunday.

It began with a couple of manhole explosions and left about 200 people with no lights and no heat.

"I'm probably packing up and going to a hotel unfortunately," said East Boston resident Mary Passino. "Turning water on so that my pipes don't freeze and then packing up and going to a hotel."

Just across the street Wilma Burr was worried about her husband.

"He has a heart problem and he's 87 years old and he's cold and the only thing is I could override the pilot on the stove and I could heat hot water and make some tea and I had some soup, I had to open the refrigerator," Burr said.

Eversource crews worked into the night up above and down below the street trying to repair damaged electrical equipment.

Residents were frustrated and cold late Sunday night.

"I have children, I have a dog, I have animals at home," Sonia Herrera said. "My husband is sick at least they can tell us what's going on that way I can go and look for a hotel or something I can't be in the cold like this it's crazy."

The Red Cross is assisting residents who lost power and a bus was brought in to warm up anybody who needed it.

In the North End, about 100 people were without power due to a fire caused by an underground transformer failure at Prince and Salem Streets.

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