An explosion big enough to 'shake a building' has happened in Plymouth city centre on Tuesday afternoon.
Residents reported hearing a "massive bang" in the area. Emergency services rushed to station on Millbay Road, near Plymouth Pavillions, shortly before 2.30pm. Police put up a cordon at the junction between the B3240 and Union Street, and closed the B3240 to traffic while waiting for National Grid staff members to arrive.
Devon and Cornwall Police that National Grid is currently at the scene and the cordons have been removed. One eyewitness reported hearing a "massive bang," said to be "powerful enough to shake the building and make our power flicker for a moment and the buildings safety gas thing has turned off all our gas".
Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said one crew from Greenbank rushed to the scene of the "small explosion", reports PlymouthLive. A spokesperson for the fire service said: "We were called at 2.26pm today after reports of a small explosion at an electrical substation on Millbay Road, Plymouth
"A crew from Greenbank Fire Station attended and quickly established that there was no fire, and no further action was necessary. The scene has been handed over to the National Grid." While a spokesperson for the National Grid said: "At around 2.30pm this afternoon there was a fault at a primary substation in Buckland Street which caused a fire that has now been brought under control. No one was injured. A cable termination box was damaged but supplies to customers in the city centre have not been affected as a secondary transformer continued to operate as normal.”