Slices of natural gas company NiSource dropped 11.8 percent Friday after a series of gas outbursts left several homes near Boston demolished or engulfed in ardours.
Investigators said the explosions took place Thursday because of “over-pressurization of a gas gas main” that belongs to Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, a NiSource subsidiary.
The news led the array to its worst day since Nov. 2, 2001, when it dropped 12.3 percent. The tired also erased its 9.4 percent gain for the year and the company’s customer base cap dropped from $10.2 billion to $8.9 billion. However, NiSource parts, however, remained up nearly 6.4 percent over the past six months.
The outbursts killed at least one person, injured more than a dozen others and led to the evacuation of thousands, propers said.
“We are focused on providing as much support as possible to our customers, inhabitants and communities,” NiSource said in a statement. “We expect this will be an draw out restoration effort, and we will work tirelessly to restore service to the afflicted customers.”
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker declared a state of difficulty for the area while expressing frustration with the utility company whose gas duct exploded.
On a number of very significant issues, we heard one thing, then something else happened. We advised one thing, then something else happened, Baker said at a gathering conference.
—Reuters contributed to this report.