An explosion occurred in an underground electrical vault beneath Sepulveda Boulevard in the El Segundo area Friday, knocking out power to several area businesses and prompting a temporary closure of the heavily traveled street.
The blast occurred around 2:30 p.m. along Sepulveda south of the Glenn Anderson (105) Freeway, forcing a temporary shutdown of all lanes of Sepulveda between Maple and Mariposa avenues, according to the El Segundo Police Department and California Highway Patrol.
Police said the force of the explosion blew a manhole cover into the northbound traffic lanes of Sepulveda.
It was unclear how many businesses east of Sepulveda were affected by the resulting power outage. Southern California Edison crews were on the scene conducting repairs, police said.
By mid-afternoon, police said only the northbound lanes of Sepulveda were still blocked between Maple and Mariposa. By 4:30 p.m., CHP officials said both lanes of the street had been reopened.
