A Con Ed worker checking a steaming manhole in Brooklyn was badly burned yesterday after he lifted the cover and a tongue of fire lashed him in the face, officials said.
The man, whose name was not released, was checking the fuming lid around 4:30 p.m. in front of 607 Ave. C in Kensington, when the gush of flame burned his face and ears, a Con Ed spokesperson said.
The explosion blew out lights at the nearby Palm Gardens nursing homes. Some 30 residents had to be evacuated and transported to other hospitals by EMS workers.
A spokesperson for Con Ed said full power was restored to Palm Gardens by 9:20 p.m. The injured worker was taken to Cornell Weill Hospital in Manhattan. A co-worker was treated on the scene.