Three injured after manhole covers explode in Tribeca intersection

Multiple manhole covers exploded in Tribeca just before 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 26, sending debris into the street, injuring three people and displacing cast-iron covers across the intersection of Warren and Church Streets near 31 Warren St. Fire and police units sealed the scene and utility crews began repairs within hours.

The Fire Department said as many as three manhole covers blew in the area. The three injured were two children, ages two and four, and an adult; police identified the adult as a 57-year-old woman. All three sustained burns and were taken to NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital, where police and fire officials reported they were in stable condition. Other accounts described the adult as the children's caretaker; officials have not publicly reconciled those descriptions.

Medical staff and first responders treated victims at the scene before transport, and city emergency crews worked to secure the roadway. There were no immediate reports of structural fires or building evacuations at the site, and no names of the injured have been released.

Con Edison said there were no reports of customer outages related to the incident and that crews were able to make repairs. City officials and Con Edison did not provide an immediate explanation for what sparked the blasts. Authorities cordoned off the area to check underground infrastructure and to ensure no further hazards such as exposed wiring or gas leaks remained.

Manhole explosions are not uncommon in colder months, according to experts who study urban electrical systems. Snowmelt mixed with abrasive road salt can corrode or damage aging wiring and other components under streets, increasing the risk of electrical faults and combustion in vaults and conduits. Such events can produce flying debris, burns, fires, and the release of hazardous gases such as carbon monoxide, experts say. Those contextual explanations do not establish a cause for the Tribeca incident, which authorities are treating as under investigation.

The Fire Department and police remain on the scene while utility crews complete inspections and make permanent repairs. Officials from the city and Con Edison said they would provide updates as investigations proceed and further information becomes available.

The varying descriptions of the adult victim and the differing detail in injury reports reflect preliminary information released in the immediate aftermath. City emergency officials emphasized that early accounts may change as medical assessments and infrastructure inspections are completed. This is a developing story and may be updated with official findings about the sequence of events, the ultimate cause of the explosions, and any additional public safety guidance from municipal or utility authorities.