One man was lucky to be unhurt after a manhole exploded, blasting out the back window of his car. John Chandler reports.
Two manholes exploded on the Upper East Side early Tuesday, turning an SUV into a charred wreck and ripping up the street but causing no injuries, police say.
Fire officials initially said one person was hurt in the 8:30 a.m. blasts near an apartment building on East 73rd Street, but police later said no one was injured.
Con Edison said a manhole fire caused two covers to explode, though there was no electrical work or construction in the area at the time and authorities do not know what caused it. Crews are taking apart electrical wires below the street as part of an "autopsy," the utility said.
Authorities shut down 73rd Street between Park and Madison avenues as they worked to clear the debris.
The investigation is ongoing.
