UPDATED: Power was cut to more than a hundred people in Hove after an electrical explosion under a bus stop in Church Road on Tuesday night.
Police, fire and UK Power Networks all arrived on the scene after residents alerted by a strong burning smell raised the alarm at about 8.30pm.
The road was briefly closed by Sussex Police while firefighters dug up the bus stop opposite Tesco.
Power was out to more than 100 commercial and residential properties nearby at midnight last night. By 8am, all but five had power back, and those customers had electricity back on by 11am.
Photographer Matt Wilkinson, who took these pictures, said at just past midnight on Wednesday: “Residents became aware of strong burning smell coming from the street at about 8pm.
“Shouts were heard from the street and people living in the flat opposite the bus shelter gathered at the end of the road.
“Within five minutes of noticing the smell, fire, ambulance and police were all on the scene and the road closed for around ten minutes.
“Street lights on that side of the street went out and are still out now, as well as the residential properties and shops.
“The pavement around the area is still being drilled and a small JCB is removing the pavement in and around the bus shelter.”
A spokeswoman for UK Power Networks said at 12.30am on Wednesday morning: “We are currently working to restore electricity to 109 customers in the Church Road area of Hove following a fault on our low voltage network earlier this evening.
“We were called at about 8.30pm by the fire brigade to advise of a fault on part of our underground network
“We would like to reassure our customers that we are working as quickly as is safely possible to return their supplies to normal as soon as we can and apologise for any inconvenience caused.”
A spokeswoman for East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said crews were called out to reports of a fire involving a manhole and a basement on Church Road in Hove at 8.07pm.
She said: “Two fire engines from Hove and a fire engine and the aerial ladder platform from Preston Circus were sent to the scene.
“There had been an electrical explosion in the street. The building was evacuated and everyone was accounted for.
“The area was made safe and the incident left with UK Power Network.”
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