Manhole cover explodes in busy Dalston street
An explosion underneath a busy Dalston street caused a manhole cover to blow up this afternoon (Wednesday).
Hywel Jones, 47, was driving past when the incident happened in Kingsland Road, near the junction with Pearson Street, at about 1pm.
He said: “I saw and heard and felt an explosion by the side of the pavement. There was a flash and red flames. My window was open so I felt the pressure change.
“I instinctively kept on driving but, as I looked back, I saw smoke pouring out from the pavement.”
No one was injured in the incident, but the road was closed for a short time.
A London Fire Brigade spokesman told the Gazette: “We think it was a telephone junction box that caused the problem underneath the pavement and blew the manhole cover up.”
Hackney police, fire crews, and BT engineers are still at the scene.
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Mr Jones, a TV producer from South Wales who was in London for work, said: “It was very lucky that no one was hurt.”
