People in New York last night found the city bathed in a strange blue light.
Photos and videos of the incident began circulating on social media, showing an almost sci-fi like blue light illuminating the skies over Manhattan.
Blue lights over the New York/La Guardia/Astoria skies.....that suddenly...in a beat...stoped. #nyc #blue #lights #aliens pic.twitter.com/LlRP1zsVTs
— Alexandra Sjoberg (@alexx2a77) December 28, 2018
Someone, call the Ghostbusters. #Astoria pic.twitter.com/HhU1wcfKjh
— Diane N. Sevenay (@Diane_7A) December 28, 2018
Authorities quickly pointed to the source of the eerie lightshow - a transformer explosion at power plant in Queens.
Energy company Con Edison confirmed there was a fire at one of its substations in the Astoria neighbourhood.
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
It left parts of La Guardia airport without electricity, while some trains also experienced power outages.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo explained: "Fortunately, it appears no one was injured in the incident, and I commend first responders for their swift response.
"State Police and staff of the Public Service Commission stand ready to support local authorities as they respond to this incident. We will take all necessary action to ensure the safety and security of the community."
The NYPD, meanwhile, took to Twitter to confirm there was no indication of alien activity:
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
