The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Dunfermline rocked by series of explosions
Residents run in fear and traffic builds up as underground blasts shock town
There were dramatic scenes in Dunfermline yesterday as the town was rocked by a huge underground explosion close to Dunfermline bus station.
A series of loud bangs were heard on Queen Anne Street shortly after midday before a manhole cover flew through the air.
Witnesses reported seeing smoke coming from the manhole as police and fire crews raced to the scene.
A large cordon was put in place as investigations continued throughout the afternoon with traffic and buses being diverted away from the area.
It was later revealed the blast was caused by a traffic maintenance system blowing up.
Natasha Mcouan, whose hair salon backs on to the bus station, told how she heard a “big and little bangs” before a manhole cover flew through the air.
The business owner said: “The explosion happened right by the entrance to the bus station.
“There was loads of really loud bangs and lots of little ones before the lid of a manhole came flying off.
“The bangs went on for quite a while and you could hear them out the back.
“There was smoke coming out of the hole although it could have been steam.
“At first I thought it was a gun. And then even when I knew what it was, I still ran with fear.
“The emergency services were here almost immediately. They were brilliant.”
Police threw up a large cordon around the area and blocked vehicles from heading towards the bus station on Carnegie Drive.
Heavy traffic quickly built up with lengthy tailbacks on St Margaret’s Drive.
Buses were left unable to stop at the station and were temporarily diverted to St Leonard’s depot as James Street Bus Station was also closed for around an hour.
A spokesperson for Scottish Fire and Rescue said: “We were called at 12.14pm of a traffic maintenance system box exploding and of reports of smoke in the area of Queen Anne Street in Dunfermline.
“Two appliances have been dispatched to the scene. There are no reports of any injuries as a result of the fire.”
Police Scotland confirmed they were investigating the reports of explosions in the area.
A spokeswoman said road closures were put in place while work was carried out to ascertain the cause.
svesty@thecourier.co.uk I have never seen Dunfermline city centre so quiet as dozens of police officers worked tirelessly to redirect traffic and reassure members of the public.
Several people told me they were startled by the loud bangs and quickly left the immediate area because they simply did not know what had caused them.
One witness said she initially feared it was a gun while another said she was really worried given recent terror attacks on crowded areas.
The cordon was in place around the whole bus station and surrounding streets including Carnegie Drive.
Pedestrians were asked to find another route to their destination as firefighters examined the manhole where the explosion occurred.
It is very fortunate no one was injured.