Two electrical contractors were severely injured following an explosion at a hotel in downtown Houston, Texas on Friday, November 10.
Contractors Were Replacing Breakers in Underground Electrical Room
The incident was reported around 1:00 p.m. at the Whitehall Hotel, located in the 1700 block of Smith Street, near the intersection of Smith and Pease.
According to the Houston Fire Department, the explosion occurred in an underground electrical room where three contractors had been replacing breakers.
Witnesses said they heard an explosion and saw plumes of smoke and flame shooting up from the street, charring the side of the building.
“I heard a boom and saw a huge large flame followed by smoke,” Brian Green told The Houston Chronicle. “It shook everybody up.”
At least one other witness reported a second, smaller blast.
One of the Injured Contractors Reported to be In Stable Condition
Two of the contractors were injured, one with severe burns. The other suffered burns to the hands and is reported to be in stable condition.
Despite the numerous witness accounts, a representative of the Whitehall Hotel maintained that no explosion occurred, telling the Chronicle that a “small electrical fire” had caused a transformer to go out.
The Whitehall Hotel has not been evacuated. However, new guests are not being checked in and are being relocated to other hotels.
Explosion Expected to Cause Rolling Blackouts
Several streets around the Whitehall Hotel have been blocked off.
A few blocks away, the management of One Allen Center advised residents via email that the explosion could cause rolling blackouts.
CenterPoint Energy has dispatched power crews to the area. A spokesperson has confirmed that the injured contractors were not working for the company.
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