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Water main break, manhole fires cause chaos in Chinatown

BOSTON — A water main break flooded parts of Chinatown in Boston Wednesday morning, and the chaos continued throughout the day.

Water could be seen flowing downhill onto Kneeland Street Wednesday morning, reaching depths of about two feet at one point.

As workers tried to clean it up, manhole fires started igniting. Officials said water seeped in and caused electrical shortages, which led to flames in several manholes.

Businesses closed, traffic was snarled and some had to be evacuated due to carbon monoxide concerns.

The main was a 20-inch pipe that broke due to age.

With clean up not yet finished, the city asked drivers to avoid the area for the evening commute.

Crews worked overnight to repair the damage from the break, with the hopes that it would be fixed before the Thursday morning commute.


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