Witnesses describe scene near fire, explosion in Nashua
By Alanna Flood
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NASHUA, New Hampshire (WMUR) — People near a Nashua commercial building said Monday’s natural gas explosion was so loud it shook the ground.
The blast was felt by many in homes and businesses along Amherst Street, including William Closs, who was working nearby.
“Real loud. It shook a lot,” Closs said.
When he saw the emergency alert on his phone, Closs said he was already trying to evacuate the building he was in.
“We were trying to figure out how to get people out, as it was the building right next to us,” Closs said.
First responders assisted in the evacuation.
“They were quick, efficient, thorough,” Closs said.
Closs said he left the scene on foot to meet friends and family, leaving his car behind.
“Again, I didn’t know that if a roof had collapsed, or what was going on, but as soon as we saw the building next door was on fire, we were like, ‘What do we do now? Here we go,'” he said.
Another resident, John, described hearing the explosion from his Amherst Street home.
“All of a sudden I just heard a big, like, boom and the whole house just shook, just rattled,” he said. “It was like a sonic boom or something that went off. You could feel the pressure wave or something and the house shaking.”
Those nearby were forced to leave the smoky area, carrying what they could.
Fire trucks and crews from surrounding communities, including Hollis, Merrimack and Manchester, responded with supplies.
“We can’t get down the street with the cars because there are a lot of water lines across the street, and it looks like it’s going to be like that for a while, so we are just going to walk home,” John said.
Some students at the Academy of Science and Design were stuck in the parking lot due to the street closure.
“The school sent emails and said they are on lockdown, and they are not even if the parents come, they cannot take the kids out, so I felt very safe hearing that from the school,” said mother Vitaye Bashyam.
Police have since reopened Amherst Street to traffic.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
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