A maintenance hole explosion in Times Square caused panic in New York City on Apr. 10.
An explosion came from a single maintenance hole around 7 pm, while smoke billowed from two other manholes in the area. The sound could be heard from blocks away from the tourist-crowded area.
Witnesses posted numerous videos on social media, showing people running after hearing the loud boom. Tourists on the square’s famous red stairs had to run toward the noise to get off.
The New York City Fire Department investigated the area and discovered abnormal carbon monoxide levels at an 18-story office building on 43rd St. This street was closed to allow firefighters to vent the building’s cellar and sub-cellar.
According to energy company Con Edison, the explosion was caused by a cable failure. The entrapped flames produced high carbon monoxide levels within the manholes.
“One manhole exploded in the Times Square area this evening due to cable failure, and a second manhole was smoking. At this time, there have been no customer outages and no reports of injuries or property damage. Our crews remain on location,” a Con Edison spokesperson said in a statement.
No injuries have been reported. Time Square and its surrounding neighborhoods have experienced elevated criminal activity since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, which added to bystanders’ panic during the incident.
