A transformer exploded under a manhole at 19th Street and Sixth Avenue early Thursday morning, setting fire to nearby buildings and forcing a temporary evacuation of several offices and shops in the vicinity.
Authorities say no one was injured or killed in the blast, but the street will remain closed off to traffic until further notice.
The explosion, which occurred at 10:44 a.m., is thought to have been caused by a fire that started in a Con Edison electrical transformer. The transformer, which was sealed in an underground vault, erupted, causing a fireball that engulfed the street in flames.
Of the many stores and offices damaged, a Radio Shack was hardest hit. The electronics store was heavily damaged after it was showered with ash and broken glass.
This is not the first time the city has experienced street explosions. In July 2005, a similar electrical transformer in Brooklyn exploded, injuring five and badly damaging a busy intersection. In January 2010, a manhole exploded on 29th Street. And in July 2007, a transformer erupted in Midtown, killing one, injuring 26 others and leaving the area in chaos.
