200 displaced from Allston high-rise after burst pipe triggers major water leak

BOSTON — Nearly 200 residents in an Allston high-rise were evacuated early Wednesday after a pipe burst, sending water gushing throughout numerous floors, as a resident changed out his kitchen faucet, officials said.

Residents in the 10-story high-rise at 15 North Beacon St. awoke to alarms going off around 1 a.m. when the high-pressure water system started pouring from the fifth floor down to the lobby, when a hot water line burst when a man on the fifth floor tried to replace his faucet, fire officials said.

The leak initially triggered the alarms but then shorted the electrical system and added to the confusion as residents weren't sure what was happening.

Around 200 people were evacuated by the Boston Fire Department and some spent the night at the nearby Jackson Mann School. It's unclear how long it will be until they are allowed back into their apartments.

Fire officials said the man changing the faucet had suffered minor burns to his hands; no other residents were injured.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Cox Media Group