Faulty electrical vault causes manhole explosion in Simi Valley

A faulty electrical vault caused an explosion so forceful that it blew off a manhole cover near the intersection of Madera Road and Easy Street in Simi Valley.

The blast happened at 1:00 p.m. Thursday afternoon, leaving a portion of the roadway buckled, according to a press release issued minutes later.

No one was hurt and there were no reports of any property damage.

Southern California Edison work crews are en route to repair the damaged vault. Once that is completed, Public Works personnel will repair the roadway.

As of 3:00 p.m. Thursday afternoon, all lanes of Madera Road are open but are expected to close for extended repair later in the evening.

The California Highway Patrol and Caltrans have closed the southbound off ramps of State Highway 118. These closures may continue for several hours, with no current predicted time for them to be reopened.

Northbound traffic on Madera Road and traffic on Easy Street is not effected.

The business west of Madera Road are effected by the power outage and many of these business are closed, including the Costco store.