Electrical box explosion - GIF

[Ralphxyz]

Yeah , right throw snow on a electrical fire!

[Scotsman Hosie]

Throwing snow on it? Except that it no doubt already kicked a fuse, that would be a good way to get a little more explosive action out of that cabinet.

[clavius]

I knew a guy who somewhat amazingly survived a similar event. He owned a large electrical contracting company that was installing some sort of switchgear at a large industrial site. I think it was a breaker or switch on a 13KV feed that he closed and as it happened, there was some defect in the breaker. It flashed over, shocked him and blew him against the opposite wall. He was revived a number of times at the site by coworkers and in the ambulance ride to the hospital. After a couple of weeks in the hospital he recovered with few if any lasting injuries.

This all happened a couple of months before his wedding and he recovered in time for that to go on as planned. I asked him if he remembered anything and he said that he recalled everything before he closed the breaker, but between that time and the time he became aware and conscious in the hospital days later, all he recalled was the guy that was working with him (who had been knocked over himself and temporarily blinded by the flash) saying "Jim, are you dead?"

[grayracecat1]

Am I the only one who could smell the ozone while watching this?