INDIANAPOLIS (AP) _ A utility says an underground explosion that shook downtown Indianapolis in March was likely caused by the deterioration of an underground electrical cable.
Indianapolis Power & Light Co. says in testimony filed with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission that an early investigation suggests a 2-year-old underground cable had failed.
IPL says the failed cable generated combustible gases that entered a manhole and sparked a fire.
The Indianapolis Star reports (http://indy.st/1HIn4Gi ) IPL says in its testimony that active steam lines in the area owned by Citizens Energy may have produced high underground temperatures. The utility says prolonged exposure to that heat “likely contributed to the failure'' of the 2-year-old cable.
The March explosion cut power to about 1,000 customers in a six-block area for several hours. No one was injured.
