Blue Light Illuminates Sky In Queens As Electrical Arc Rocks Con Edison Power Facility

UPDATE: After an investigation, Con Edison on Dec. 28 told HuffPost that the blue glow was the result of a release of light and heat from a voltage monitoring system , and not a transformer explosion, as the agency and New York police had initially stated.

A Con Edison official on Jan. 2 told HuffPost that the incident didnt occur at a power-generating plant. The incident occurred at a Con Edison substation, which steps down high-voltage power received via the transmission system so that it can be distributed locally to homes and businesses, a Con Edison spokesman said.

PREVIOUSLY:

ASTORIA, N.Y. An electrical explosion Thursday night at a power plant in the densely populated Queens neighborhood turned the sky bright blue for a few minutes as residents watched in terror.

Shortly after the blast, the New York Police Department informed residents that the blue light was the result of a transformer explosion at a Con Edison power plant.

Con Edison officials took to Twitter to describe the incident as a brief electrical fire involving electrical transformers, which caused a transmission dip in the area .

The fire caused no injuries , The Associated Press reported.

The explosion impacted subway service in the area and caused a brief ground stop at LaGuardia Airport, which experienced power outages. Power was restored about 30 minutes later , the airport tweeted, and all flights resumed.

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said that delays should be expected on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority 7 train and at LaGuardia Airport.

Apparently this is a fire at the Astoria Power plant - as seen from Jersey City. Hope everyone is ok! #nyc #queens #newyork #bluelight #bluelights #aliens #astoria #powerplant #fire #blackout #newyorkcity #besafe #electrical pic.twitter.com/D7XZZDZyEA

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Apparently this is a fire at the Astoria Power plant - as seen from Jersey City. Hope everyone is ok! #nyc #queens #newyork #bluelight #bluelights #aliens #astoria #powerplant #fire #blackout #newyorkcity #besafe #electrical pic.twitter.com/D7XZZDZyEA
Simone Bachmann (@viking_gal) December 28, 2018

New York fire officials said they were investigating the transformer incident after receiving numerous reports of explosions in Long Island City and Astoria.

Residents rushed out to the streets as lights flickered around the city. Residents in New York City and neighboring areas began posting photos of the dazzling scene online, showing a neon blue glow emanating from the northwestern corner of Long Island.

Reacting to photos of the brilliant display, social media users wondered if the explosion was an alien invasion or a source of superpowers.

Deputy Inspector Benjamin Gurley of NYPDs 43rd Precinct quickly assured residents that there were no aliens involved in the incident, and the Fire Department of New York said in a tweet that the situation was under control .

Power Surge at the ConEd facility in Astoria. pic.twitter.com/Iehisp2klj

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Power Surge at the ConEd facility in Astoria. pic.twitter.com/Iehisp2klj
NYCFireWire (@NYCFireWire) December 28, 2018

When a utility employee pulled up in an SUV at 10:25 p.m. and asked one of the three NYPD officers at the entrance of the Astoria Generating Station if it was safe to go in, the officer nodded and waved the worker through the gate.

I was so scared, a 30-year-old man who said his name was Belkei and declined to give a last name told HuffPost.

He was standing nearby on 21st Street at 21st Avenue in the Ditmars Steinway neighborhood of New York City. I thought it was a plane crash.