An underground electrical vault exploded Sunday afternoon at a busy intersection in downtown Portland, blowing a manhole cover from the ground, sending sidewalk bricks flying and sparking a small fire.
The explosion occurred shortly before 1 p.m. on July 26 at the intersection of Middle and Exchange streets in Portland’s heavily traveled Old Port district.
Officials said the blast originated inside an underground Central Maine Power electrical manhole vault.
The force of the explosion dislodged the manhole cover and scattered bricks from the surrounding pedestrian sidewalk. Despite the location’s popularity with tourists and pedestrians, no one was struck by the debris and no injuries were reported.
Nearby buildings were inspected following the explosion, but authorities found no apparent structural damage.
The Portland Fire Department responded alongside crews from Unitil, who quickly ruled out the presence of natural gas or carbon monoxide leaks in the area.
The intersection remained closed to traffic for several hours while Central Maine Power crews assessed the damaged equipment and completed repairs.
The incident also caused brief, localized power outages in the surrounding area.
