Power Restored in Downtown Atlanta After Underground Explosion
- Details
- Category: Atlanta
- Published on Tuesday, 19 February 2013 10:07
- Written by The Atlanta Daily World
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- Post 19 February 2013
- By Atlanta Daily World
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Georgia Power crews have restored power to as many as 10 commercial buildings in downtown Atlanta after an underground fire caused an explosion that blew a half dozen manhole covers several feet into the air Monday night.
WXIA reports that most roads were reopened Monday night and the Atlanta Fire Department said that there were no fatalities and no one was hurt as a direct result of the explosion.
Georgia Power spokeswoman Carol Boatwright said crews were working underground making repairs when cables caught fire.
The buildup of pressure from the fire caused several manhole covers to blow, Boatwright said.
There were no injuries, according to the Atlanta Fire Department.
According to WSB, the explosion occurred around 7 p.m. and was heard by a number of people in the area. Shortly after the incident, Peachtree Street was closed between Mitchell and Alabama, and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard between Pryor and Spring streets, the station reported. MARTA bus service was briefly diverted in the area around the Five Points Station.
Boatwright says the fire may have knocked out power to several buildings in downtown. Crews were working into the night to restore power to the affected area.
