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Detroit power outage traps people in elevators

Posted at 12:06 PM, Dec 02, 2014
and last updated 2014-12-02 12:12:49-05

DETROIT — A power outage hit downtown Detroit around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, trapping people in elevators in at least one building.

Focus of emergency activity was the building known as the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, where courts were in session. All people were evacuated and all further business was cancelled for the day, according to live reports on WXYZ.

At Detroit City Hall, people were still trapped in elevators more than an hour after the power outage began.

The source of the power outage was a cable failure in the utility company, according to live reports on WDIV.

Initially, it was reported that fire stations in the city had no power, but the a city fire captain told WDIV the majority of fire houses had generators and the fire department was fundamentally unaffected by the outage.

Because a majority of Detroit’s schools were affected by the power outage, the entire district dismissed classes early and sent children home.