NEW YORK CITY (ENN) - An explosion from electrical manholes adjacent to a busy NYC subway station caused little panic on board the trains, but necessitated a massive response of NYC emergency personnel when a subsequent bomb threat was called in to 911.
At approximately 1815 hrs., EDT, Tuesday, April 23, three manholes exploded at the Brooklyn intersection of DeKalb Ave. and the Flatbush Avenue Extension in Downtown Brooklyn. The explosions caused the loss of electrical power to the DeKalb Ave. station of the New York City Transit Authority Subway. The station and signal lights went out, but 3rd rail power remained on. NYPD Emergency Service Units, as well as a second alarm response of the FDNY and a mobilization of EMS responded to the scene.
However, a more serious turn of events caused a heightened vigilance at the scene when NYPD 911 reported receiving an anonymous call claiming responsibility for the explosion and that three other bombs were placed at the scene by the caller. The call came into Police Headquarters about twenty minutes after the explosion. NYPD Chief of Department Louis Anemone ordered over the Department radio that the location of the explosion be secured as a Crime Scene until a determination could be made and ordered that the Bomb Squad respond to the scene.
When the fires were extinguished, the NYPD Bomb Squad investigated the manholes in an attempt to locate the reported devices. When no devices were found in the manholes or in the surrounding areas, an "all clear" was sounded to Emergency Personnel and the job of rescuing the passengers commenced.
It was reported that six to eight trains were stuck both underground and on the Manhattan Bridge between Brooklyn and Manhattan and about 40,000 passengers were stranded on board. Since the movement of the trains themselves were not effected, most trains were sent back into Manhattan to various stations there and the passengers removed. After the all clear was sounded, trains located close to the DeKalb station were allowed in to unload passengers on the Brooklyn side.
EMS reported a very low patient count of three injuries, one of which was a police officer. Mayor Rudolph Giuliani responded, as did Police Commissioner Howard Safir and Fire Commissioner Thomas VonEssen. Commissioner Safir emphasized that this incident was "not terroristic" in nature and that Con Edison, the NYC electrical company, confirmed that the explosions and fire were a result of salt erosion on the cables under the street. This is caused from the heavy snow storms in NYC over the winter and the corroding effect of the salt used on the snow covered roadways.
The emergency operation concluded about 2100 hrs. The Transit Authority reported that six different subway lines were effected, and the effect may be felt during the Wednesday morning rush hour.
(c) EmergencyNet News Service, 1996, All Rights Reserved.