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HEADLINE: Worker Hurt in Blast

April 14, 2000

BY FRANK MAIN STAFF REPORTER

A Commonwealth Edison worker was critically injured Thursday when electrical switching equipment exploded, briefly cutting off power to 2,900 South Side customers.

David Schury, 33, of Lemont suffered burns on his face, hands and torso, officials said. Another ComEd worker was treated at a hospital and released.

The ComEd employees were working on electrical switching equipment when witnesses heard an explosion at 9:08 a.m. in the courtyard of three Robert Taylor Homes buildings on the 4400 block of South State.

The malfunction triggered a power outage between 35th and 55th, from Michigan to Wells. Seven schools were without power, a Fire Department spokesman said.

Power was restored to the neighborhood by 11 a.m., a ComEd spokeswoman said. The company sent generators to the buildings where the accident occurred.

The same equipment exploded months ago when a rat crawled inside, creating an outage that lasted about three hours, officials said. Thursday's explosion was unrelated.

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/comed14.html

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-- (Dee360Degree@aol.com), April 14, 2000