A wide swath of New York’s Manhattan borough was plunged into darkness following a transformer explosion, leaving more than 70,000 households without power.
NEW YORK - A wide swath of New York’s Manhattan borough was plunged into darkness Saturday following a transformer explosion, knocking out power to subways, stores and Broadway theaters, but the city’s main utility began restoring power several hours later.
Shouts of celebration could be heard in parts of Manhattan as power was restored, bringing lights and air conditioners back to life. Sidewalks in Times Square that are usually crowded with tourists on a balmy summer Saturday night were overflowing as at least some Broadway theaters canceled performances. The lights of nearby Radio City Music Hall were dark.
New York has endured large-scale blackouts before, most recently following Superstorm Sandy in 2012 as well as the widespread 2003 blackout across the U.S. Northeast that left most of the city without power for a day. Memories of rioting, looting and violence during the 1977 blackout spooked some tourists visiting the city, including Dave and Dara Campbell, of Gilbert, Arizona.New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo said he was sending 100 State Police officers and some National Guard troops to the city to help with traffic control.
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson wrote on Twitter that the ConEd substation on the West Side had a “major disturbance” and that the utility was working on fixing it.
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