Clearance work began Monday morning after a series of manhole explosions Sunday caused a portion of the sidewalk to violently dislodge and collapse outside The Cosmopolitan, a high-rise condominium on East 48th Street between 3rd Avenue and Lexington Avenue.
The incident, which was captured on surveillance video, occurred around 12:30 p.m. on Friday and sent large chunks of sidewalk flying into the air. No one was hurt in the incident, but it did lead to evacuations in the area and caused significant concern among pedestrians
According to a Con Ed supervisor on the scene, the explosion was caused by a buildup of electrical charges–an event he had not seen before. Repairs began Monday morning (September 16th) with the removal of debris. Afterwards heavy steel road plates will be placed over the remaining hole while Con Ed investigates and corrects the conditions that led to the explosion.
The incident is a reminder of the potential dangers of aging infrastructure issues in densely populated urban areas like Manhattan.