A CABLE BENEATH 16th and Market streets in Center City began smoking early Wednesday morning, prompting officials who were worried about a separate gas leak to evacuate an apartment building.
The 10-story Oakwood Apartments building, at 16th and Sansom, was cleared of its residents, and 16th Street was closed between Chestnut and Walnut streets for much of the morning.
Karen Muldoon-Geus, a Peco Energy spokeswoman, said that the incident occurred about 3:30 a.m., when smoke was spotted coming from a manhole. Authorities initially believed that the smoke was from a blown transformer, but later said that it came from a cable.
