Jail closed to visitors after electrical panel explosion, Manatee County deputies say
Public visitation at the Manatee County Jail is suspended until further notice after an electrical panel exploded and injured an employee, the sheriff’s office announced Tuesday.
A county employee suffered burns from the explosion after he was performing maintenance on the panel Tuesday afternoon and was taken to a local hospital, according to the sheriff’s office.
The sheriff’s office said the employee was alert while being taken to the hospital, but further information about the person’s condition was not immediately available Tuesday evening.
No one else at the jail was injured in the electric panel explosion, according to the sheriff’s office.
The jail, which is located on the west side of U.S. 41, near Manatee County’s northern border, was placed on lockdown following the explosion.
Fire department officials responded to the jail to make sure that the electrical panel was no longer a safety threat. Florida Power & Light also responded to the jail to help fix the electrical issue, according to the sheriff’s office.
The jail lockdown has since been lifted and public visitation could resume Wednesday if everything goes according to plan according to Randy Warren, a spokesperson for the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
After the electrical malfunction, Warren said jail staff need time to complete certain tasks, such as rebooting the security cameras, before the jail reopens to the visitors.
