The spokesman added, cited by Reuters, more than 33,000 of the utility's customers were without power following the incident.
Local eyewitnesses have shared several videos of the alleged incident on Twitter, claiming that the explosion was heard before "all the lights went out" in almost the whole city.
An explosion at a power station Fort Lauderdale, Florida has caused a major power outage for its Residents. #BrowardCounty #outage pic.twitter.com/RXYGDc5cvj
— ~Marietta (@iMariettaDavis) 27 марта 2019 г.
Firefighters are still battling huge flames shooting up into the air near NW6thSt and 5thAve following a loud boom in Fort Lauderdale. Power is out in the area @WPLGLocal10 pic.twitter.com/Eze20VmvKk
— Christian De La Rosa (@delarosaWPLG) 27 марта 2019 г.
A spokesperson for Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue said, cited by the Broadcaster Local 10, the fire started around 8 p.m. (local time) at the facility in the 400 block of Northeast Sixth Avenue. The spokesperson said local firefighters had the blaze under control.
The cause of the electrical fire reportedly remains unknow. Local authorities have launched the investigation into the incident. According to local media, Florida Power and Light said emergency crews were working to restore power to about 33,000 customers.
There was a MASSIVE explosion just outside downtown Ft Lauderdale that knocked out all the power. Not sure what happened at this point #FortLauderdale #FtLauderdale #ftl pic.twitter.com/FumNuJ9XDk
— Ceebz Gerard (@Ceebz_Gerard) 27 марта 2019 г.
A spokesman with the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport told the Miami Herald that the airport was not affected by the blackout, and if it were, a redundant system would ensure the airport’s operation.
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