Belmont High School and its neighboring middle school experienced an unexpected jolt in their routine this morning when two Belmont Light line workers were injured in an electrical flash while working in a manhole on school property. Firefighters responded to the scene after reports of the accident came in shortly after 9:45 a.m., according to The Boston Globe. The workers, equipped with protective gear, managed to swiftly exit the manhole on their own and were later taken to Massachusetts General Hospital in stable condition.
The incident led to a power outage at the schools, with Principal Isaac Taylor assuring that while the lighting was limited, natural light from classroom windows continued to illuminate lessons. "All staff and students are safe and not impacted by the accident," Taylor told Boston 25 News. The schools were able to quickly switch to generator power to maintain the day's operations.
Beyond the confines of the school, Belmont Light, the local utility company responsible for the workers and ongoing electrical maintenance, is working to thoroughly understand what went wrong. "Our thoughts are with the two line workers as we hope for their speedy recovery from today’s incident," officials from Belmont Light expressed in a statement obtained by Boston 25 News. They also extended gratitude towards first responders for their rapid action. Further details on the cause of the incident are pending investigation.
Movement around the school has been restricted as a result of the accident. Principal Taylor advised those needing to access the school by car to use the middle school parking area. "If you must access the high school, please park on the middle school side," Taylor specified, as per a report by Boston 25 News. For those on foot or biking, a detour away from the affected area is in place, directing students towards the pond area away from the high school drive. The schools remain operational and committed to safely delivering uninterrupted education despite the unexpected interruption.
