An explosion at Texas Tech University in Lubbock on Wednesday night triggered fires and a campus-wide power outage, prompting officials to evacuate several buildings and cancel classes for the remainder of the week.
According to Lubbock Fire Department Captain Jen Tunnell, a warning was issued to the campus at approximately 8:45 p.m. local time, initially reporting an explosion at a substation. However, it was later confirmed that the blast originated from a manhole.
Videos circulating on social media and local news channels showed flames and smoke emerging from at least one manhole cover, with a heavy presence of firefighters on the scene.
The exact cause of the explosion remains unknown.
University Police Department spokesperson Katelyn Jeffries stated that power will remain down across the Lubbock campus as repair efforts continue.
Captain Tunnell added that emergency crews had initially responded to a possible gas leak around 7 p.m. local time. Upon arrival, they discovered "smoke and fire erupting from multiple manhole covers."
Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the explosion.
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