A widespread outage affecting AT&T has disabled cellular and internet service in many areas of Kentucky and Tennessee — in addition to 911 emergency services.
The outages followed an explosion at about 6:30 a.m. Christmas Day outside an AT&T building in downtown Nashville that authorities called “intentional.”
Hopkinsville 911 services affected
Shortly after 1 p.m., the Hopkinsville-Christian County Emergency Communications Center announced on Facebook that residents with an emergency should use one of the dispatch center’s backup numbers. Those are 270-832-2734, 270-832-2588, 270-832-2776 and 270-832-1674.
Bomb squad called to investigate suspicious RV
Early Christmas morning, Metropolitan Nashville police noticed a suspicious vehicle, an RV, parked at 166 Second Avenue North and called for a bomb squad to investigate, police spokesman Don Aaron said. As the bomb squad was on its way, the RV exploded, causing massive damage in the area.
“We have a number of dogs that are conducting sweeps,” Aaron said as Nashville officers began an investigation with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Residents in the area heard a woman’s voice, apparently in a recording, warning that an explosion was coming, followed by a 15-minute countdown, the Tennessean newspaper reported.
A witness who said she heard the warning and fled told the Tennessean she heard the woman’s voice, “Evacuate now. There is a bomb. A bomb is in this vehicle and will explode.”
Police had been called to Second Avenue North before the explosion because of a report of a shooting, said Aaron.
AT&T building within blast zone
“AT&T said the affected building is the central office of a telephone exchange, with network equipment in it. The blast interrupted service, but the company declined to say how widespread outages were,” The Associated Press reported.
Media outlets reports three people were injured.
(This story has been updated)
(Jennifer P. Brown is the editor and founder of Hoptown Chronicle. Reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org.)
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. She spent 30 years as a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition.
