A Manhole Cover Exploded In Times Square & Videos Show New Yorkers Panicking In The Street

A manhole cover exploded without warning in the middle of New York's busy Times Square on Sunday night, sending tourists and locals scrambling in all directions.

The explosion happened around 7 p.m. in the super crowded and touristy Times Square area, where multiple videos captured a loud banging sound.

Confused and frightened people could be seen screaming and running after the explosion, although no injuries have been reported in the incident, according to NBC News.

One Twitter user posted a video from Times Square showing the frenzy following the explosion.

"Huge bang in Times Square around 6:50… followed by sirens and hundreds of people running away. Not sure what it was… but a lot of people on edge!" says the tweet.

Video footage posted to the stories of an Instagram user showed huge crowds fleeing as fire trucks approached the area.
In the background of one video, someone can be heard saying, "The people are running. Why are the people running?"

In the videos documenting the ordeal, you can see several police vehicles and firetrucks scattered in the area and a glimpse of a smoking manhole cover.

Firefighters were called to the scene immediately and investigated the area for carbon monoxide levels, reports CNN.

The explosion was caused by a cable fire, Con Edison spokesperson Karl-Erik Stromsta told CNN. The fire caused one manhole to explode while another was left smoking, said Stromsta. Other outlets report at least three manhole covers on fire.

Stromsta added that the explosion did not result in any power outages in the area.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.