A manhole explosion in downtown Detroit last Friday at around 2 p.m. left a 58-year-old woman hospitalized in serious condition. The incident, which occurred at the intersection of Congress Street and Woodward Avenue, resulted in no structural damage to the roadway but prompted a thorough investigation into the cause of the unexpected eruption. CBS News Detroit reports the woman was near the manhole when the explosion happened. While the manhole cover did not strike her, she was nevertheless in serious condition following the incident.
According to The Detroit News, the manhole cover near Congress and Bates Streets is popping off due to a build-up of pressure in the sewer system. While not working in the manhole, the shockwave knocked back the woman, Detroit Fire Department Deputy Chief Daniel Clapp said, illustrating the force of the underground blast.
The reaction to the explosion in the city's heart sparked immediate responses from the Detroit Fire Department and DTE Energy. Officials from the Detroit Fire Department stressed that the situation posed no current threat to the public, with the area quickly contained following a flash fire that accompanied the explosion. According to Deputy Chief Clapp's conversation with clickondetroit, the ignited gasses within the sewer were the likely culprit, and such incidents, although infrequent, do happen.
A spokesperson for DTE Energy said the manhole did not belong to DTE, but they were assisting the Detroit Fire Department's investigation into the explosion. "We are currently working with the Detroit Fire Department to investigate the cause of an incident in downtown Detroit in which a cover raised from a manhole not belonging to DTE," the DTE spokesperson stated, as per The Detroit News.
