Elevators Stop, Brief Blackout In New York After Smoke Seen At Power Plant

New York City experienced a brief power outage on Thursday night due to a fault at a Con Edison plant in Brooklyn. The disruption briefly threw the city into chaos, with reports of people trapped in elevators and subway delays lasting over 20 minutes.

Subsequent reports indicated flickering lights on roads and streets across the city. The black smoke was also seen in the air that was coming from the power plant.

New York - There was a blackout in the city. Here smoke seen coming out of Con Edison plant where people say there was an explosion. pic.twitter.com/3PETng1C0J

— 🇬🇧RonEnglish🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 (@RonEng1ish) December 15, 2023

According to official statements, the disturbance originated from an "explosion" at the Con Edison plant in Brooklyn. Authorities promptly responded to the scene, attributing the incident to a short circuit.

Soon after the incident, Con Edison, the power company in the United States, wrote on X that it happened after fault on a high-tension transmission line occurred at one of our Brooklyn substations around 11:55pm.

"Customers may have experienced a power dip or surge at that time. Our crews are investigating and making necessary repairs", the New York City-based power company said.

A fault on a high-tension transmission line occurred at one of our Brooklyn substations around 11:55pm. Customers may have experienced a power dip or surge at that time. Our crews are investigating and making necessary repairs.

— Con Edison (@ConEdison) December 15, 2023