WATCH: New York's massive Con Edison explosion during Hurricane Sandy

A failing transformer blindingly lights up the Manhattan sky, knocking out power for tens of thousands of customers

A flash of white light let off as a transformer at a Con Edison plant explodes on Oct. 29 in New York City cutting off electricity for thousands of residents.
(Image credit: YouTube)

As Superstorm Sandy tore through New York City on Monday night, a transformer at a Con Edison plant on 14th Street exploded in a series of bright bursts of light that eerily resembled a scene from an apocalyptic movie. (Watch the video below.) The blast shut down power for tens of thousands of customers in the borough of Manhattan. Michael Bloomberg says it may take days before electricity is finally restored. No injuries were caused by the blast, says Pix11 in New York, but observers were more than a little freaked out. "There was an explosion about 5 minutes ago and I could see blue sparks coming from the plant!" emailed Pix11 viewer Mario Camilla. "The plant is dark and smoke stacks are not lit up!" The explosion reportedly may have been caused by flooding or flying debris. See for yourself:

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