MORE than 100 properties in and around Princes Street were left without power after an explosion in an electricity cable left exposed by tram works.
Businesses missed out on lunchtime trade after the explosion, close to the corner of Princes Street and Castle Street, knocked out the power to about 130 commercial and residential properties as far away as Rose Street.
Director of Juice Almighty
in Castle Street, Derek Webster, said he had heard a bang from the street at about noon: "We're going to miss the entire lunch trade, we're turning customers away. At lunchtimes I'd take £200-£400 – fortunately I've just been told I can claim it on my insurance.
"Me and my staff heard an explosion – it sounded like it came from the corner of Castle Street and Princes Street. It wasn't quite the One o'Clock Gun, but it was big enough."
Many businesses were without power for two hours, including the Build-a-Bear Workshop, which was forced to close its doors on young customers. Associate workshop manager Jenny Thomasi said: "We had about 30 kids at the door crying, because we just had to close the doors for two hours. Head office have said they don't think they would get any compensation unless we were closed for five hours."
It is thought that the cable may have been corroded and the explosion was caused by heavy rain.
A spokesman for TIE said: "I can confirm that a power cable was routinely exposed during the course of normal works. No-one was working near to the cable at the time of the power stoppage."
Charity fundraiser Anna Wemyss, 22, who was working on Princes Street at the time, said: "There was a big kind of explosion and some sparks and a lot of orange smoke. It was pretty loud, and the electricity went off. There were a lot of people working round the area but no-one was obviously down where the explosion happened, thank God. They all went running over."
It is the second power cut to hit businesses in Princes Street in recent months as a result of tram works. Three weeks ago traffic lights at the West End also failed after tram workers crushed cabling, and in March, 2,000 homes and businesses were left without power in Leith after tram workers cut power cables.
A ScottishPower spokeswoman said power was restored by 2pm.
