HELL'S KITCHEN (WABC) -- Streets have reopened near where a manhole exploded Friday in Hell's Kitchen in Manhattan.
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The manhole erupted on the corner of 45th Street and Ninth Avenue on Friday evening.
The force of one of the blasts shattered windows on a building five stories up, sending shattered glass to the street below. Eyewitnesses said people were running through the street after the explosion. The manhole cover landed on top of a fire hydrant, which shattered upon impact.
ConEd said the cause was a problem with an underground network of feeder cables. Work started with one manhole at noon, then the problem spread to the Ninth Avenue manhole. h
With smoke filling the neighborhood, firefighters briefly blocked Ninth Avenue. By the time it reopened, traffic was at a standstill for more than 14 blocks Friday afternoon.
There are no reports of injuries.