Power supplies and the transport infrastructure were badly hit in Belfast today after a major fire broke out at an electricity sub station.
The blaze at the Hannastown plant on the Glen Road was discovered shortly after 7 a.m.
Railway signals and traffic lights in the city were knocked out as the power failure in West Belfast began to cause havoc on transport networks in Northern Ireland.
Forensic experts were called in to examine the fire-damaged station following fears that some sort of incendiary device may have been planted. However, a spokesman later said Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) was satisfied the fire had not been caused by any sort of device.
A spokesman for NIE said it appeared major customers such as rail operator Translink and the BBC had been affected. But he added that household customers may also lose electricity once engineers began work.
The blaze caused commuter problems as rush hour trains faced major delays. Translink said the power surge had knocked out all signalling in the Greater Belfast area.
PA