A transformer explosion at an electric power substation in the New York City borough of Queens lit up the night sky with a bright blue light, mystifying some residents, but officials said no one was injured in the incident.
"There was a boom and a bang and a flash of light," said Jim Long, a spokesman for Fire Department New York.
"It's all under control but we're still getting calls from residents wondering what happened," he said early this morning.
The blue flashes that briefly lit up the night sky in the Astoria area of Queens shortly after 9pm (2am Irish time) were caused by a power surge and electrical "arching".
It sparked a transformer explosion and a small fire, said Con Edison spokesman Bob McGee.
There were no injuries, he said.
Social media lit up with videos and photos of the bright light in the night sky over New York City.
Aliens attacking the Empire State Building or power plant transformer fire in Queens? 🤔#newyork #Bluelight #sky #Queens #NewYorkCity #explosion #astoria #nyc pic.twitter.com/uccbyufBDL
— Daniel Fietta (@FiettaD) December 28, 2018
There was a brief electrical fire at our substation on 20th Avenue & 32nd Street in Astoria this evening, which caused a transmission dip in the area. All power lines serving the area are in service and the system is stable. Photo: Michael Friedl, New York Times pic.twitter.com/vq2Ao46rhk
— Con Edison (@ConEdison) December 28, 2018
Someone, call the Ghostbusters. #Astoria pic.twitter.com/HhU1wcfKjh
— Diane N. Sevenay (@Diane_7A) December 28, 2018
Confirming incident in #Astoria was result of transformer explosion. No injuries, no fire, no evidence of extraterrestrial activity. Please continue to follow @FDNY and @Conedison
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) December 28, 2018
Mr McGee reassured residents after internet speculation that aliens or the villain Thanos from the recent Avengers' movie "Infinity War" had invaded.
"No, it wasn't space aliens," he said.
"All power has been restored to normal. But the videos online of the blue lights in the sky are still flying all over the internet."
The fire caused scattered outages, stalled some city trains and briefly blacked out LaGuardia Airport, which is located in Queens.
It also caused some flight cancellations and delays but all power and services were restored before midnight local time, Mr McGee said.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a message on Twitter that Con Edison was evaluating the extent of power outages in the area.
The cause of the incident is being investigated.
