PATCH LIST: Where are the Manhole Explosions Happening in New Jersey?

RECENT MANHOLE EXPLOSIONS IN NEW JERSEY

• Montclair has seen nine manhole explosions so far this March, one of which created a large sinkhole on Bloomfield Avenue, and another that briefly knocked out power for around 850 residents. [See related Patch article]
• A manhole exploded in Union Township near a St. Patrick’s Day Parade route on March 14. Union police linked the incident to damage from salt and water.
• An exploding manhole struck two PSE&G workers investigating a power outage Newark on Feb. 3, sending both to the hospital with undisclosed injuries, according to a report.
• In January, several public officials reported seeing multiple manhole explosions in Red Bank. The town’s utility provider, Jersey Central Power & Light, denied that the incidents qualified as “explosions.”
• An underground explosion sent a manhole cover flying into the air near Rutgers-Newark and New Jersey Institute of Technology in January of 2013. The blast knocked out power to several buildings on the Rutgers campus.
• A manhole explosion in Ridgewood forced the closure of much of Franklin Avenue in September of 2011. [See related Patch article]
• Members of a Morristown family sustained minor injuries when a manhole exploded underneath their vehicle in August of 2011. According to a report, Jersey Central Power & Light attributed the incident to a “failed switch.”
• PSE&G employees performing electrical work in a manhole near the Bergen County courthouse were injured by a sudden explosion in September of 2009.