Parts of Manhattan and the Upper West Side experienced blackouts Saturday evening, leaving thousands without power, according to reports.
NBC New York, citing the Con Edison power outage map, reports over 44,000 customers are without power. “We are responding to extensive outages on the Westside of Manhattan. We will share more information as it comes in. Thank you,” the utility giant wrote on Twitter.
The Daily News reports:
Subway service was stalled in Manhattan and Queens on all the lines designated by letters, which the MTA calls its “B Division.”
“We’re trying to get people out of subways. We’re trying to get people out of elevators. It’s a big mess,” said an MTA source. Subway riders were walked through tunnels and led to the station at Columbus Circle, an MTA source said. An early unconfirmed report said there was a transformer fire at 12th Ave. around W. 54th St.
According to the NYPD, police are responding to possible blackouts plaguing the Columbus Circle subway station, while the FDNY has received reports about the outages and inoperable elevators.
A Jennifer Lopez concert at Madison Square Garden was called off due to the outages.
The outage is “due to a manhole fire earlier this evening,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said, adding “Disruption is significant.”
“We are in constant communication with Con Ed, who has an effort underway to begin restoration of power by midnight tonight,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.
Saturday’s extensive blackout falls on the anniversary of the 1977 New York power outage, which left most of the Big Apple dark.
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