Manhole Cover Explosion: Power Cut to Hundreds at Seward Park Co-op (Updated 12:17p.m.)

More now on the overnight explosion at the Seward Park Cooperative.  We just spoke with William Lozada, the building superintendent, and Denis Kitson, assistant general manager.  They say an explosion at 2:27 a.m. on Clinton Street caused a manhole cover to be blown off.   All six cables in a Con Ed service box were destroyed.  Thy say the cover shot about 20 feet up in the air, breaking a tree branch before landing in the grass behind a fence. No one was injured.

Building 3 of the sprawling complex (208-212 East Broadway) lost power. Building staff went door-to-door advising residents about the situation. Emergency lights are now on and, Lozada said, elevators are working. Con Ed is hoping to restore temporary service by 11 a.m. and make full repairs sometime in the afternoon. Numerous teams are working on Clinton Street, between Grand Street and East Broadway.

There’s no word as of yet what caused the explosion.

UPDATE 11:28 a.m. We received a call from Con Ed’s press relations office. Contrary to what we were told by the Seward Park building superintendent, a representative at Con Ed, Bob McGee, told us the power in the co-ops went out at 5:35am and was restored at 6:40am.  He said the crews in the trucks at the location (in the photos above) are working on repairs to the cable that was burned in the manhole.  They are not working on restoring power, as it was restored earlier this morning.

UPDATE 12:17 p.m. The plot thickens. We just heard from Julie, a resident of the Seward Park building impacted by this morning’s explosion.  She says the lights flickered for around a half hour following the big boom before going out completely.  Julie reports the ower has not been restored. There are lights in the hallways and stairwells and the elevators are working.  There is running water but no hot water.

UPDATE 2:48 p.m. Seward Park Co-op reports that full power has been restored.

More photos after the jump.