Four utility workers electrically shocked at Shakopee prison

Two of four utility workers who received electric shocks while working near the Shakopee women's prison on Monday have been released from hospitalization, according to the utility company that employs them.

Three of the injured were initially brought to St. Francis hospital in Shakopee and one was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC). Eventually one of the three at St. Francis was transferred to HCMC. The two at HCMC are the ones still hospitalized.

The extent of their injuries was unknown, but they were not considered life-threatening, said Renee Schmid, director of finance and administration for Shakopee Public Utilities.

"They're both awake and talking," Schmid said late Monday afternoon.

The Shakopee Police Department said the incident happened about 8:35 a.m. as the crew was working just outside the grounds of the prison.

Schmid said the cause of the accident remains unclear.

She downplayed reports attributed to the city of Shakopee that the incident was caused by an arc flash that burned one or more of the workers as they were on or around a "cherry picker" near a utility pole.

The workers were apparently doing an electrical upgrade or maintenance work, according to police. After the incident, power to most of downtown was knocked out. By about 4 p.m., power had been restored to nearly all customers, including the prison.

John Schadl, a spokesman for the state Department of Corrections, said earlier Monday that the facility used emergency generators for basic operations and had the prisoners on lockdown mode until the power was restored. He said that apart from the loss of power, the incident caused no problems at the prison.