Explosion Shakes Ventura Boulevard
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A faulty 34,000-volt distribution line caused an explosion under Ventura Boulevard in Encino on Wednesday, halting traffic for several hours and blacking out 25 large commercial buildings.
Fire Department spokesman Jim Wells said 600 employees were evacuated for two hours from two high-rises, the Lincoln National and Valley State bank buildings.
The explosion, reported at 10:56 a.m., propelled a manhole cover into the air in the 16000 block of Ventura Boulevard, Wells said.
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power officials said most services were restored within an hour and that repairs could take from several hours to a few days.
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