AT&T service is down in some areas following a car explosion, impacting some 911 lines
A car explosion in downtown Nashville damaged an AT&T facility, and some AT&T users - including 911 lines - are now experiencing outages.
- A car explosion in downtown Nashville damaged an AT&T facility.
- Users nearby are now experiencing outages, including some emergency and 911 lines.
- The incident has been under investigation by the FBI and local authorities and sent at least three people to the hospital.
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AT&T users near Nashville are currently experiencing some outages after facilities were damaged in a car explosion.
Early Christmas morning, a large explosion in Nashville's downtown sent at last three people to the hospital and damaged nearby buildings. Authorities believe that the explosion was "an intentional act," according to CNN.
Don Aaron, a spokesperson with the Metro Nashville Police Department, also told CNN that there was a "significant damage" to infrastructure in the area.
The car exploded in front of an AT&T transmission building in Nashville, according to a press release from the FBI and local authorities. AT&T users are now experiencing phone and internet outages in some areas near Nashville. DownDetector shows that Nashville, Atlanta, and Chattanooga are among the areas with the most outage reports.
"Service for some customers in Nashville and the surrounding areas may be affected by damage to our facilities from the explosion this morning. We are in contact with law enforcement and working as quickly and safely as possible to restore service," Jim Greer, AVP for AT&T corporate communications, wrote in a statement to Insider.
Those outages are hitting some 911 emergency lines. In Tennessee, the Murfreesboro police department tweeted that "Murfreesboro's 911 lines, and non-emergency lines, are currently down."
—Murfreesboro TN Police Department (@MboroPoliceDept) December 25, 2020
Police in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, also tweeted out that their "911 and Non-Emergency Lines are down, which is likely related to a widespread outage on 12/25/2020 caused by the Downtown Nashville explosion."
—Mt. Juliet Police (@MtJulietPolice) December 25, 2020
The police department in La Vergne, Tennessee also said that their emergency lines were down due to the outage.
—La Vergne, TN Police Department (@LaVergneTNPD) December 25, 2020
The Tennessean has been keeping a list of impacted areas and alternate numbers.
It's still unclear if anyone was inside the car at the time of the explosion. The Tennessean reported that the blast could be heard miles away. The FBI and local authorities have said that they are investigating the incident and had restricted vehicle and pedestrian travel in the area.
Prior to the explosion, the RV reportedly issued a warning to those in the area, the Tennessean reported. It began a 15-minute countdown after proclaiming: "Evacuate now. There is a bomb. A bomb is in this vehicle and will explode."