Electrical blast in downtown L.A. injures 4, knocks out power to 13 high-rises
Smoke damage is visible on the exterior of a downtown building at the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Flower Street, which was red-tagged after an underground electric generator exploded.
Four people were injured and a downtown office building was red-tagged by safety officials Thursday night after an explosion in a high-rise basement knocked out power in the area and sent smoke billowing into the street.
Officials said the explosion about 10:10 p.m. sent flames and smoke shooting through the basement of a 19-story building at 811 W. Wilshire Blvd., knocking out power to the surrounding area and interrupting a Shania Twain concert at Staples Center.
The high-rise and about a dozen nearby buildings remained without power as of 6 a.m. Friday, and Los Angeles Department of Water and Power officials said there was no estimate on when electrical service would be restored.
The cause of the blast remained under investigation, but investigators said they believe an electrical generator in the basement was involved.
Four people sustained minor injuries but only two -- a woman who said she had a headache and a man who reported back pain -- went to the hospital, the Los Angeles Fire Department said early Friday.
More than 160 firefighters responded to the scene and quickly extinguished a blaze in the building. But as a result, the basement became flooded with water. Though the building is structurally sound, officials said, authorities red-tagged it until its electrical and fire-safety systems were back online.
Staff writer Abby Sewell contributed to this report.
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