Exploding Sidewalk of London

Forget speeding cars! Pedestrians in London have a new danger to look out for: exploding sidewalk.

The Health and Safety Executive in the UK announced that sidewalks in London have been exploding at an alarming rate. There were 8 blasts in 2010 and 29 last year. So far, they've seen 12 blasts this year.

UK Power Networks, the firm responsible for many of the under-pavement electricity boxes at the heart of the problem say that the explosions should be placed in context. There are over 100,000 of the boxes under London's streets and with just a handful of explosions reported these represent 'relatively few cases when our equipment has faltered' say UPN.

The Youtube clip above, taken in April 2013, shows a gas explosion on Pimlico Road: Link


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To be fair, those really aren't bombs and that isn't really an explosion. A bomb is when there is contained pressure. It looks very much like there is an escape route for the gas. Now, if these were buried in such a way that it was sealed, it would be a bomb and would create an explosion.
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"There are over 100,000 of the boxes under London's streets and with just a handful of explosions..."

In other words, think of all the times the sidewalk didn't explode.
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At least if you are not in direct line of sight of the area around the actual arc, you most likely won't have the more serious arc flash problems, like massive sun burns or clothes catching on fire, and it becomes more like a normal fire in a confined space.
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