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Smoke, flames seen shooting from downtown manhole

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis firefighters and Indianapolis Power & Light Company are investigating after smoke and flames were reportedly shooting from a downtown manhole Wednesday morning.

Witnesses reported seeing smoke and flames coming from a manhole at Ohio Street and Pennsylvania Street following a “loud noise,” according to the Indianapolis Fire Department.

Tethers restrained the manhole from flying loose, the Indianapolis Fire Department said in a tweet.

IPL installed more than 1,000 locking covers in 2015 after manholes rocketed into the air due to underground explosions.

The utility company said that the cause of the explosion nearly two years ago was likely caused by an underground electrical cable that may have been damaged by heat from subterranean steam lines. The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission said that its early investigation suggested that a 2-year-old underground cable had failed.