The explosions occurred in two transformer pits outside Red Bank Catholic High and St. James Church Sunday afternoon. (Video by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
Red Bank officials are scheduled to meet Monday with power company representatives to determine what caused Sunday’s electrical equipment explosions on Broad Street, Mayor Pasquale Menna tells redbankgreen.
Also on the table, he said, is the question of whether JCP&L’s underground equipment, which runs the length of Broad Street downtown, is safe, he said.
JCP&L workers repairing equipment in one of the manholes early Monday morning. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
No one was injured in the blasts, which sent manhole covers and bricks flying outside the Red Bank Catholic High School/Saint James Church complex on Broad Street shortly after 3 p.m.
JCP&L spokesman Ron Morano said he could not immediately confirm that there were, in fact, explosions, though police Chief Darren McConnell reported four such blasts. redbankgreen witnessed one blast as it occurred.
Morano said he would hoped to have information on the cause of the incident Monday morning.
Meantime, the final 10 of 260 customers who lost power had it restored by 9:20 p.m. Sunday, Morano said.
A borough police announcement attributed the blasts to “transformer failures.”
Menna said he was unaware of any electrical explosions underground in the borough’s history.
“Thank God nobody was hurt,” he said.
The downtown portion of Broad Street is free of utility poles because all the electrical service is underground, according to borough officials.
