For minutes the night sky over the New York borough of Queens was brightly lit. A blue, circular light pulsed over the skyline. Then the spectacle was over as suddenly as it had started. Residents shared photos and videos of the strange play of light on social media. Speculation about the cause made the rounds. Up front: Aliens have landed in the city.
Late in the evening, the energy provider Con Edison cleared up the extraterrestrial rumors. “No, they weren’t aliens,” said corporate spokesman Bob McGee. An explosion and a subsequent fire in a substation were the cause. No one was injured in the incident. The press spokesman for Mayor Bill de Blasio, Eric Phillips, gave the all-clear on Twitter.
The fire had earthly consequences. A power outage temporarily paralyzed LaGuardia Airport, which is also in the borough of Queens. There were delays and flight cancellations. Trains also stood still. The incident is the second serious incident in six months that affects the infrastructure of the energy provider Con Edison. In July, a steam pipe exploded in Manhattan, after which asbestos-contaminated steam escaped.
dp/ww (AP, rtr)
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