New York City power outage affects 2,500 people

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Utility Consolidated Edison said on Thursday some 850 customers lost power in New York City's Upper East Side after fires damaged underground cables.

Typically each customer accounts for a home of about three people, meaning some 2,500 people were without power.

Spokesman Chris Olert said the outage, the latest in a long line of blackouts to hit the city since 2003, occurred after fires under manhole covers on Thursday morning.

The outage was not related to the last one in late June that shut off the lights on about 500,000 people in the Upper East Side and the Bronx after a lightning strike, he added.

Olert said power should come back on around 10:00 p.m. EDT on Thursday (0200 GMT Friday).