Crews still working on repairs after frightening manhole explosion on crowded Hell's Kitchen street

HELL'S KITCHEN (WABC) -- Streets have reopened near where a manhole exploded Friday in Hell's Kitchen in Manhattan.

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.