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By Stephane Massinon

CALGARY—An explosion Friday afternoon sent manhole covers flying and water gushing out of toilets in the northwest Calgary community of Arbour Lake.

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B.R. Pirri was watching television with her family when a boom resonated through the home and shook it.

“We heard a big crash, like something fell into the house,” she said.

When she walked around her home looking to see if something heavy like a cabinet fell over, she saw water in the bathrooms.

“All the toilets and sinks had blown water up and there was some tiny little black rock particles and it smells like sulphur, that rotten eggs smell. On the walls, there was water in the bathrooms.”

Minutes later, the fire department arrived and told them to leave right away.

A total of 102 homes were evacuated and residents told to head to the community centre because water and electricity were being turned off.

Fire department spokesman Brian McAsey said six manhole covers appeared to have been blown off and there was smoke coming out of the sewers when the first fire crews arrived.