Student's explosive weekend!

A Polish PhD student from Warrington suffered an explosive weekend in London after a manhole cover was blasted off its hole beneath her feet.
Malgorzata Zimon, (pictured) aged 25, a mechanical engineering student studying nanofluid mechanics, was visiting the capital with boyfriend Pierre Fayon for their anniversary when she walked over a manhole cover on Uxbridge Road, Shepherd’s Bush, which was lifted from its position by an underground explosion.
The blast beneath the cover, thought to have been caused by poorly maintained electrical cabling, sent Malgorzata several feet into the air. She landed feet first into the exposed hole and sustained several injuries including fractures to two bones in her lower back, severe cuts and bruising to her thighs and left leg. Her hair and eyebrows were also singed. Malgorzata said: “My boyfriend and I were supposed to be celebrating, but instead I spent the weekend having to recover from this accident and that was very frustrating.
Oddly, I was told that I was less seriously injured because I was standing on the cover, than I would have been if I’d been standing near it. I also just missed damaging my left kidney, which is my only one. So I feel I have been lucky in an unlucky situation.”
When police and emergency services professionals attended to Malgorzata at the scene, they told her she was not the first person to have been injured in an exploding manhole cover accident in London this year. They urged her to make a claim for her injuries to highlight this growing problem and after an internet search, Malgorzata got in touch with Manchester firm JMW Solicitors LLP.
Gordon Cartwright, partner at JMW solicitors, is handling her claim. He said: “After a harrowing accident like this, Malgorzata should be commended for her resilience and her determination to get on with life as usual. I am sure she thought her accident was a freak experience, but I am aware of several similar explosions over recent months, some of which involve the defendant’s company, and some of which have led to serious injuries.
“I look forward to hearing what measures the defendant and the local council will take to ensure that an incident like this does not happen again, particularly as a spokesperson for the defendant has previously commented that these accidents are unusual. Clearly this is not the case and it is shocking that these explosions are continuing to happen on our streets. I am looking forward to acting on Malgorzata’s behalf and pursuing her case rigorously.”
A part-time dance teacher in her spare time, Malgorzata continued: “It’s really frustrating because it’s going to take at least a couple of months for me to recover and I’m going to struggle to teach dance. I have been told I can’t be supported in any way because of the kind of fracture it is, I just have to be very careful. I’m surprised something like this has happened, and I hope that the power company will take steps to reduce the chances of it happening again.”
JMW Solicitors are calling for anyone else who has been injured in an exploding manhole cover incident to speak out and help raise awareness of the problems surrounding poorly maintained electrical cabling. If you have been injured in similar circumstances and wish to make a claim, you can contact them on 0800 054 6570.
UK Power Networks, the company responsible for the maintenance of electrical cabling in the area, was very concerned to learn that a woman was hurt after an electrical fault beneath a manhole cover and wish her a full recovery.
A spokes person said: “Our engineers joined the emergency services at the scene to make the electrical equipment safe and work to establish what caused this incident to occur. The safety of our staff and customers is our main priority.
“As discussions with Ms Zimon’s representatives are currently ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”