ICBC launches lawsuit against City of Vancouver, BC Hydro in connection with underground explosion

The Insurance Corporation of B.C. has launched a lawsuit against the City of Vancouver and BC Hydro to recover damages caused by an explosion near the Granville Street Bridge earlier this year.

The explosion, which occurred in an underground utility vault back on Jan. 5, sent large pieces of concrete crashing into numerous vehicles, according to a notice of civil claim filed last month.

The public insurer says a manhole cover was mistakenly paved over, which led to a “buildup of gases in an underground utility vault.”

1:19 Investigation into underground explosion under Granville Bridge linked to electrical fault

The BC Hydro-owned vault “held electrical wires which may have been faulty, or the conductors were not maintained within the underground utility vault.”

A “resulting electrical arc” led to an explosion in the confined space, the notice of civil claim states.

ICBC is asking for more than $29,000 in damages.

None of the claims have been tested in court.

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