Published , by Morgan Shaver
Published , by Morgan Shaver
An “electrical event” recently took place at Google’s Data Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Not only did this result in an outage yesterday, it also left three people seriously injured after sustaining burns and were taken to the nearby Nebraska Medical Center in critical condition, according to authorities and reports from outlets like KETV Omaha.
The incident is currently under investigation, with Google making it clear it’s taking the matter seriously. In a statement from a Google spokesperson to KETV, it’s noted that the company is working closely with local partners and local authorities to get to the bottom of the situation.
Speaking to Globe Gazette, the assistant chief for the Council Bluffs Fire Department, Jim Wood, stated that first responders had been dispatched to the data center at 11:59 a.m. following reports of an electrical event. Wood didn’t specify the cause but noted that, “It was definitely some sort of electrical issue.”
In a statement made to 6 News, the incident was reportedly due to an “electrical explosion” that took place while “three people were accessing an electrical box when an arc occurred.” Regardless of the exact cause, it’s disconcerting to hear about the event, and the serious injuries that happened as a result. In closing, we hope that all three individuals who were harmed due to the electrical event are able to make a full, speedy recovery.
For more on the matter, be sure to read through reports from KETV, Globe Gazette, and 6 News. And for more on Google, also be sure to check out some of our previous coverage including how Google recently pushed back its third-party cookie replacement to 2024.