An explosion at an electricity sub-station yesterday caused over 28,000 homes in the Belfast area to lose power.

The blast yesterday was at the Northern Ireland Electricity station at Manse Road in the Castlereagh hills close to Lagan College.

A spokeswoman said no-one was injured in the explosion and engineers were on site trying to establish what had caused the blast.

Power was restored to all customers within 30 minutes by re-routing supply, she said, but had affected customers as far apart as Glengormley and Knock.

Police warned motorists in east Belfast to take care as the power cut knocked out traffic lights on the Upper Newtownards Road junction with the Knock Road and further along the Knock dual carriageway.

The Fire & Rescue Service said they responded to an emergency call and dealt with “a small fire on the ground floor of the sub-station”.