Explosion reported at hotel in downtown Houston

[TexasTowelie]

A large explosion was reported at a hotel in downtown Houston on Friday.

Emergency crews responded around 1:30 p.m. to the incident at the Whitehall Hotel, 1700 Smith Street. Houston Fire Department Chief Blake White told reporters that the blast was caused by a transformer explosion in the building's electrical room.

Three people were replacing a circuit breaker at the time, he said, one of which sustained major injuries. The other two had minor injuries.

Live video from the scene shows one side of the hotel covered in black marks. Multiple fire trucks are on scene, and streets nearby have been blocked off.

At Two Allen Center, just a few blocks away, management notified residents in an email that the explosion had "caused rolling blackouts."

Read more: http://www.chron.com/houston/article/Explosion-reported-in-downtown-Houston-12348170.php

[mahatmakanejeeves]

1. Arc flash

[SonofDonald]

2. I saw a man get zapped by 440 volts once

At the Purdy Woman's Treatment Center in Washington state when I worked there at 18 yo, he survived, I have not wanted anything to do with working on electrical gear since.

It's a dangerous way to make a living, my hats always been tipped to linemen since that day, they go out after storms to get our power back on in windy wet conditions.

Be safe people.