Manhole Explosions Rock Astoria Block, No Injuries Reported
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Firefighters were on the scene of a manhole explosion in Queens on Tuesday.
It happened just before 3 p.m. on Broadway and 32nd Street in Astoria, CBS2's Ali Bauman reported.
Thankfully, nobody was injured. A driver was at the gym on the block when it happened and he had only been parked for about 30 minutes before the manhole beneath his car started sparking.
Flames began shooting out of the manhole on Broadway near 31st Street under a car that was was parallel parked directly on top of it.
The FDNY said it was the third manhole on the block to go up in flames on Tuesday.
Firefighters quickly responded and hosed the car down, putting out the flames and shutting down the typically busy intersection.
Officials attributed the explosions to snow and salt buildup.
The car owner told Bauman his bumper was blown off, but he wasn't allowed close enough to see the full extent of damage.
"While I was working out they told us to get out. The fire alarms goes off and I was going to my car and I see the bumper is blown off and the hood is open and ... I don't know. I'm just happy nobody got hurt, thank God," car owner Carlos Villamarin said.
Firefighters were making sure the manhole didn't start sparking up again. Crews were assessing nearby structures for carbon monoxide seepage as a result of the fire and about 30 people were without power and displaced as a result.
