WATCH: Manhole Explosion Sparks Panicked Stampede in Times Square

People walk underneath a giant new advertising screen in Times Square, New York, in this N
REUTERS/CARLO ALLEGRI
Nick Gilbertson

A manhole explosion in Times Square caused panic Sunday evening, sending a slew of people running in fear through the Manhattan streets, according to reports and video.

Twitter user @bdball posted a video of pedestrians fleeing the area after the explosion.

Watch Below: 

“Huge bang in Times Square around 6:50… followed by sirens and hundreds of people running away,” the Twitter user said. “Not sure what it was… but a lot of people on edge!”

Breaking911 also tweeted a video of the chaos:

Energy company Con Edison said the manhole exploded near 215 West 43rd Street shortly before 7:00 p.m., WABC reported. New York City Fire Department (FDNY) officials said after the bang, firefighters responded to blazes at three manholes, the New York Post noted.

The area was closed for a time while the fire department and energy company investigated the incident, according to the Post.

In a statement, a Con Edison spokesperson said smoke emanated from one additional manhole and added that the explosion resulted from a cable failure, according to WABC.

“At this time, there have been no customer outages, and no reports of injuries or property damage,” the spokesperson said Sunday night. 

The FDNY found increased carbon monoxide levels in the basement of 229 West 43rd Street, according to WABC. By 9:00 p.m., the department had mitigated the carbon monoxide levels in the 18-story office building, the Post noted.

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