Lawrence General Hospital Prepped For Worst After Gas Explosions

LAWRENCE, MA — When the news was breaking of up to 70 explosions, fires, and gas leaks across Andover, North Andover, and Lawrence, officials at Lawrence General Hospital were prepping for the worst. After all, the Andover Fire Chief had likened a scene to a "war zone."

So staff pushed through patients from an already packed emergency room in an effort to stay nimble for incoming victims. Hospital employees from all departments whose own homes were affected rushed in to bolster staffing.

"It's incredibly anxiety-provoking," Dianne Anderson, president and CEO of Lawrence General Hospital, told reporters outside the emergency room Friday.

In the end, the hospital treated 13 patients after a series of fires and explosions across the Merrimack Valley. While a hospital spokesperson could not divulge specific details, the Essex County DA's Office confirmed one victim, 18-year-old Leonel Robson, died Thursday after being flown to Mass. General.

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Another victim was in serious condition and headed for surgery Friday, officials said. The rest of were discharged

"We were expecting a lot more [victims,]" Earl Gonzales, chief of trauma surgery, said.

The injuries ranged from smoke inhalation to blast trauma. The ages of the victims ranged from "young to old," Gonzales said.

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About a dozen more people have contacted the hospital asking about potential gas-related symptoms, George Kondylis, chief of emergency medicine, said.

Officials didn't know why the victim tally was relatively so low, speculating it could have had to do with the time of day where some weren't home from work.

Paul Brennan, director of pre-hospital EMS, didn't question it.

"Just pure luck," he said. "We were lucky."

Photo by Mike Carraggi, Patch. Dr. Earl Gonzales address reporters.