NEW YORK CITY - Manhattan was plunged into darkness on Saturday night after a transformer fire caused a massive blackout in the heart of the city's tourist district, leaving 73,000 Con Ed customers without power.

The New York City Fire Department said a transformer fire triggered the blackout, which hit a 30-block stretch from Times Square to about 72nd Street and Broadway, to the west of Central Park, reports Independent.

All the Broadway shows were being cancelled, leaving the streets packed with people. The blackout stopped subway service, halted a concert by Jennifer Lopez at Madison Square Garden, disabled traffic lights and trapped people in elevators. Carnegie Hall was evacuated mid-show.

Con Edison confirmed that the blackout started at 6:47 p.m. and power was restored across midtown Manhattan and the Upper West Side just before midnight, reported NBC New York.

No injuries or fatalities were reported.

Source: Independent; NBC New York