Explosion near US Consulate in Geneva; no injuries

GENEVA – An electrical fault triggered an explosion Wednesday near the U.S. Consulate in Geneva, police and officials said. The U.S. Embassy in the Swiss capital, Bern, issued a security alert over the blast, but no one was injured.

“The explosion was linked to an electrical junction box, cooled by oil. Repairs will take several hours,” embassy authorities said in an emailed statement. “The area has been deemed safe by local police.”

The U.S. Consulate was closed Wednesday afternoon and is expected to reopen Thursday.

The U.S. Embassy initially urged people to avoid the area and seek shelter Wednesday afternoon as a precaution.

Geneva police spokesman Sylvain Guillaume-Gentil said the incident involved electrical wiring and cooling liquid in the underground city infrastructure, though he could not immediately provide further details. He said no one was injured.