September 22, 2004
Underground fire sends manhole covers flying on 38th Street
An underground electrical fire sent manhole covers sailing on 38th Street during rush hour last night, injuring several people between Eighth and Ninth Avenues.
Pressure and gas from the fire launched the five covers as far as 25 feet, crashing into storefronts and sending debris (including glass shards) into the air. Pedestrians were terrified and confused, but not knowing what was going on. "It was the loudest thing I ever heard," said one. "I didn't know if it was another terrorist attack." Another person thought the same thing, but his survival instincts didn't kick in. "First, I thought it was a nuclear attack -- and I stupidly walked toward it," he said. Some reports indicate there were "hundreds" of people scrambling and ducking for cover. "There were people running -- just running for their lives," according to one witness.
Reports differ on the number of injuries -- either 5 or 6. Most were minor injuries caused by debris, but one police officer suffered from smoke inhalation.
The fire was brought under control by 8:30 last night, but one report says buzzing from short-circuiting electrical wires undergound could still be heard at street level.
This is yet another incident of manhole covers becoming a safety hazard in the city. In January, a woman was killed when she stepped on an electrified cover, and 6 weeks ago, Liz Wallenberg was permanently scarred by an overheated cover that she fell onto. Just a little over a week ago, the NYDN ran a detailed report on the recent rash of manhole-cover-related injuries, and ConEd's apparently lackadaisical efforts to fix the problems.
categories:
Fire,
Manhattan,
Utilities
posted by adm at September 22, 2004 8:07 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://scaryny.com/mt/mt-tb.cgi/261
