Fire At Manhattan Con Edison Power Plant

EAST VILLAGE -- A transformer exploded at an East Village power station, setting the building ablaze and scaring local residents.

The explosion occurred around 2:19 p.m. at the ConEd substation on East 14th Street and Avenue D, according to the FDNY. Smoke, debris and ash littered the area later that afternoon.

"It exploded twice like a chain reaction," Manuel Felitiano, 43, who lives in the Jacob Riis Houses next door to the Con Ed plant. "I said to myself it was another terrorist attack. Another 9/11 or something."

No injuries were immediately reported, fire officials said.

While no power outages had been reported, some customers may have noticed their lights flicker, reflecting a dip in voltage, according to a Con Ed spokesman.

Eastbound and westbound M14 buses were being detoured to 10th Street as of 3 p.m., the MTA officials said. No other service changes had been reported.

READ MORE AT DNAINFO