DOWNTOWN — About 200 Department of Correction inmates were evacuated from the Manhattan Criminal Courthouse Friday afternoon following a transformer fire in the building's basement, the FDNY and Office of Emergency Management said.
The prisoners were escorted out of 100 Centre St. by Correction officers following the 12:20 p.m. blaze, which also knocked out power in large chunks of the building, the FDNY and OEM officials said.
The fire caused a partial evacuation of the lower levels of the courthouse, according to fire officials.
The 200 prisoners were being loaded onto buses back to Rikers Island, OEM said.
Centre Street from Worth to White streets was shut down to traffic as firefighters worked to bring the blaze under control.
No one was injured. The fire was deemed under control around 1:25 p.m., officials said.
Arraignments were moved to 111 Centre St. while 100 Centre St. was evacuated, the FDNY said.
The Office of Court Administration and DOC didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this article said 300 prisoners were evacuated, based on information from the Office of Emergency Management. Officials now say the number is 200.
