Published: 11/23/2006
Day 1: Finding cause could take days
By Paul LeightonStaff writer
"Everything imploded," she said. "My house is totally destroyed."
Outside, neighbors ran through the darkened streets wondering what had happened. Some people thought it was a plane crash. Others suspected some sort of a terrorist attack.
Wayne Begonis of Riverside Street said he saw one man running down the street in his boxer shorts carrying his dog.
"Apparently his house was leveled," Begonis said. "He said, 'That's all I have.'"
'He was wonderful'
Despite the chaos, residents told stories of neighbors helping neighbors. Begonis ran next door to help an 80-year-old woman whose damaged door was jammed. Carney said one of her fellow Bates Street neighbors, John Joyce, assisted an elderly couple, then ran to her house to make sure she and her husband got out OK.
"He was wonderful," Carney said.
More than 100 firefighters from 30 communities eventually poured into Danvers. Because of the possibility of another explosion, firefighters fought the blaze with large hoses from a "faraway distance," Tutko said.
Once the fire was contained, officials decided to let the chemicals burn off rather than risk washing more chemicals into the nearby Danvers River, Tutko said.
Coan, the state fire marshal, called the force of the explosion "very unusual." He said steel structures from the chemical plant were found lying in the neighborhood.
"I can't think of an explosion in recent times that extended to this many buildings," Coan said. "To think that people got away from that with cuts and bruises is just a miracle."
Gov. Mitt Romney, who held a press conference in the middle of Water Street, said Coan told him that more serious injuries were averted because the explosion took place in the middle of the night when people were in bed, allowing them to avoid flying glass and debris.
"Had they been standing up, it could've been a very different story," Romney said.
Romney said officials will explore every possible source of aid for residents and the town of Danvers. He left open the possibility of declaring a state of emergency in Danvers, although he said that "doesn't appear to be immediately required."
Peabody damage
The damage even extended to adjacent Peabody. Mayor Mike Bonfanti said he heard reports of windows broken in downtown Peabody by the blast. Closer to the epicenter, Peabody resident and City Hall worker Frank Nguyen reported that his basement bulkhead had been blown away, according to the mayor.
