Emergency crews rescued an injured civilian from a downtown Edmonton manhole Wednesday after the force from an underground explosion blew several manhole covers into the air.
The blast happened when an EPCOR electrical vault exploded underground, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services said.
Emergency crews were called to the scene of the blast near the Park Plaza building at 97th Avenue and 106th Street at about 7:30 a.m., fire rescue spokesperson Maya Filipovic told CBC News.
Fire crews arrived five minutes later. Five crews remained on scene Wednesday morning.
“We do have reports of an injured civilian who fell down a manhole because several manhole covers actually blew off as a result of the explosion,” Filipovic said.
A technical response team was sent to the scene to get the person out of the manhole. Filipovic didn’t have any details on the person’s condition. Paramedics were seen carrying the person on a stretcher to an ambulance.
The explosion knocked out power in the area of the Park Plaza apartment building. Lights in other nearby buildings flickered.
A damaged manhole cover could be seen near the blast site.
EPCOR crews were sent to the scene to assess the damage and begin repairs, Filipovic said.
Crews rescued a civilian who fell into a downtown manhole Wednesday morning. (Todd Coyne/CBC)
Fire officials say an underground electrical vault exploded, triggering the blast and an isolated power outage. (Todd Coyne/CBC)