Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Sarah Harvard

Utility worker narrowly avoids death as electric cable wire catches fire as it strikes wet ground

Police cameras caught the terrifying moment that an electric cable wire caught after touching wet ground following a thunderstorm, nearly killing an utility worker.

A severe thunderstorm caused transformers to explode and electric wires to fall in the northeastern coast last week. In the intersection of State Highway 70 and Colonial Drive in New Jersey, Manchester police officers and utility workers responded to a report of a traffic light spot being out due to a power outage.

In the early morning, a utility worker tending to the defected traffic spot nearly died. 

“As the night turned into morning, a utility worker narrowly escaped death when handling a wire that was believed to be de-energized!” the Manchester Police Department said in a Facebook post. “The wire then caught fire as it struck the wet ground. Luckily, he was wearing proper safety equipment!”

You can watch the video below:

Fortunately, no one was injured from the incident.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.