There was a manhole explosion at 7th and P St NW this morning, which has caused a subsequent power outage in the surrounding area, from roughly 7th to 10th street along the Rhode Island Ave. corridor. This area includes DCist HQ, which, if you’re a regular reader, you may quickly recognize as having a certain amount of poetic justice. DCist has made something of a cottage industry out of documenting the scourge of terrifying manhole mishaps. Not only did we manage to miss the chance to capture a photo of today’s manhole explosion that happened right next door, but PEPCO currently has no estimated time for repairing power. The manholes have finally beaten us. These are dark days, my friends. UPDATE: This particular battle against the manholes appears to have been won by the humans. The power was back on in the affected area as of 2:15 p.m.