Firefighters were called to an underground explosion in Newton Abbot after an inspection hatch cover was blown from the ground and temperatures soared beyond 800°C. Emergency crews responded to Jetty Marsh Road during the early hours following reports of an explosion beneath the roadway. On arrival, firefighters discovered electrical arcing and an intense fire inside an underground chamber containing BT fibre-optic cables and National Grid electricity infrastructure. The severity of the incident prompted crews to establish an exclusion zone while the electrical hazard was assessed and the area made safe. Temperatures within the underground pit were reported to have exceeded 800°C, creating extremely hazardous conditions for emergency crews. The heat was sufficient to damage vital telecommunications and electricity infrastructure running through the chamber. Firefighters remained at the scene while utility companies were involved in dealing with the affected equipment and ensuring the electrical supply could be safely managed. The incident could potentially result in disruption to electricity or telecommunications services in the surrounding area, although the extent of any outages has not yet been confirmed. Further investigations are expected to establish what caused the underground explosion and subsequent fire.
Originally published by UKNIP.
