A probe is under way after a huge fireball burst from a pavement on a busy London street, narrowly missing a passer-by standing just yards from the blast.
The dramatic explosion was said to have shaken nearby buildings and left a gaping crater at the side of the road.
Video footage of the blast shows one astonished bystander running from the scene as flames shot from the ground.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=I515SEYGbIw%3Frel%3D0
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said it was looking into the explosion, which is believed to have been caused by a fault on the underground electricity network on Thursday morning.
Cables at that spot, on Pimlico Road in central London, carry up to 11,000 volts.
Nearly 2,000 people in the area saw their power interrupted following the explosion.
An HSE spokesman said: “We are aware of this and we are making inquiries into what happened.”
