LaGuardia Closed Briefly as Con Ed Transformer Explosion Turns New York Night Sky Bright Blue

A transformer fire at a Con Edison substation in the Astoria section of New York City resulted in a giant plume of smoke colored by bright blue light on Thursday night.

The explosion caused lights to flicker in homes and offices in the city and caused a power failure at LaGuardia Airport, bringing operations to a standstill.

“Due to a power failure at #LGA, please allow extra time when coming to the airport,” LaGuardia said on its website.

The airport partially lost power and the Federal Aviation Administration ordered a ground stop at 9:30 p.m. local time because of the power failure.  The ground stop was lifted approximately 45 minutes later and operations returned to normal.

The power failure also stopped the No. 7 train from operating due to “a Con Ed loss of power” between the line’s terminus in Flushing and the Mets-Willets Point station, although that service was restored.

“7 train service has resumed making all stops after an earlier Con Edison explosion in Queens,” the MTA said in a tweet. “Expect extensive delays in 7 train service in both directions.”

(Photo: Accura Media Group)