July 15, 2004
By HAROLD HECKLE, Associated Press Writer
MADRID, Spain - Explosions and a fire at an electrical substation sent black smoke over Madrid on Thursday, forcing police to evacuate nearby buildings and streets. No one was reported injured.
A power outage swept through downtown neighborhoods, but electricity was quickly restored to most areas. Power remained out at the tourist areas surrounding the blaze near the broad tree-lined Paseo del Prado.
The cause of the explosions was not immediately identified by authorities. A worker who had been installing generators at the private electrical utility Union Fenosa's substation said the generators exploded when turned on.
Manuel Escalera Gonzalez told The Associated Press that three generators were on the ground floor. Gonzalez was in the basement when he heard three explosions.
"If we would have been on the ground floor, it would have killed us," he said.
Francisco Rubio, 47, who lives near the substation, said the lights went out in his apartment about 1:30 p.m. local time.
"Then I saw the flames. Then I heard one explosion. About 10 minutes later, another. They were quite big," Rubio said.
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