A BUILD-UP of gas caused this morning’s explosion of a manhole cover on Dublin’s Baggot Street.
Two units of Dublin Fire Brigade were called to the scene of the explosion that happened shortly before 10am on the busy city street.
The Eircom manhole cover exploded and lifted a few feet in the air in a cloud of green and black smoke.
Dublin Fire Brigade have confirmed that they suspect a build-up of gas caused the dramatic explosion that was captured on video by a passer-by.
Emergency services say that they arrived at the scene after the smoke had cleared and made the area safe. Investigations are now being undertaken by utility providers.
The incident happened on the corner of Merrion Street and Baggot Street on front of the Lolly and Cooks café.
Staff member John described what happened:
A cloud of green smoke started pouring from the manhole cover and was getting thicket and thicker. You could really smell it, it was the kind that could burn your nose and was irritating. Then there was a bang and an explosion, the manhole cover flew a few feet off the ground.
The scene is blocked off. Twitter / eoinos Twitter / eoinos / eoinos
“After the explosion black smoke started coming from the manhole.”
He added that the explosion startled plenty of people in the shop.
“It was loud, absolutely everyone heard it. Somebody was sitting beside the window and when the bang went off they jumped back and hid behind the counter.”
Another onlooker Eoin Ó Súilleabháin made a similar description of the scene, describing how there was “dark green and rancid smoke billowing from manhole for a few minutes”.
“There were people at the junction and walking past at crosswalk as well as others watching on when large boom blew the cover in the air narrowly missing people walking by,” he says.
Previously edited at at 5pm.
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