NASHVILLE (AP) — A spokeswoman for the Nashville Electric Service said Thursday that power outages to about 20 downtown buildings — including the state Capitol — are the result of a work crew accidentally cutting underground cables.

Laurie Parker told The Associated Press the mishap occurred around 11:30 a.m. It affected about a six-block radius, including several other state buildings: the Supreme Court, War Memorial, Tennessee Tower, Legislative Plaza, Andrew Jackson, Rachel Jackson and Library and Archives.

Legislative staffers gathered in hallways with candles, flashlights and the illuminated screens of their mobile phones, after the outage. The staffers and all state employees in affected buildings were sent home for the day.

John McManus, spokesman for the state Human Resources Department, said the workers should be able to return on Friday.

Parker said the damage was being repaired and power to most of the buildings was expected to be restored by about 4:30 p.m. Meanwhile, some buildings, like the Capitol, were running on backup generators.