Explosion in manhole in Edinburgh brings Colinton Road to standstill An explosion inside a manhole has brought a busy street in Edinburgh to a standstill. Officers from Police Scotland sealed off Colinton Road in the capital on Sunday afternoon. Firefighters were dispatched to the scene, close to Napier University, at 2pm to bring the flames under control. It is understood that the explosion occurred inside an electrical box within the underground utility vault. There are no reports of injuries and police are now acting in a traffic-management capacity. One fire pump remains at the scene and Scottish Power engineers are working to repair the electrical box. Around 70 homes are without power at present.