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A huge explosion at a New York power plant has turned the night sky above parts of the city bright blue.

Dramatic footage appeared to show enormous blue flashes in the sky that could be seen for miles around on Thursday night.

New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the bright lights were caused by a transformer explosion at a power facility in Astoria. Officers warned residents to avoid the area.

Some flights were grounded at the nearby LaGuardia airport after the explosion sparked a power outage.

The bright glow stunned onlookers in Manhattan and Astoria, with many sharing astonishing video footage and images of the scenes.

Marguerite Ward, an editor at NBC, was among those to share an image of the shocking incident. Alongside the picture, she wrote on Twitter: “Why is the sky in #nyc blue and green??? Looks like an explosion?”

Another witness, Jonathan Keller, wrote: “The coned plant in Astoria. Smells of electrical fire outside.”

Con Edison, the energy company which runs the site, said it was investigating an electrical fire.

It said the incident caused a transmission dip in the Astoria area.

No injuries have been reported, New York City Fire Department said. It added that the incident was under control.