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Massive energy blackout in Murmansk, Russia after reported blast at power station 

The northern Russian port city of Murmansk, with a population of 300,000, has been partly left without electricity following an emergency at an energy facility. Eyewitnesses captured a bright flash, after which the lights went out.

There have been eyewitnesses' reports of a "huge blast" at one of the city's electrical substations, according to SeverPost news agency.

Emergency services are working at the scene, the agency said, adding that there have so far been no official comments from rescue teams.

There is apparently no electricity in government headquarters in the city center, FlashNord reported citing its correspondent in the area. Lights have been off in both central areas and in the outskirts, according to SeverPost.

An incident happened at one of the facilities of the Kolenergo regional energy company, its press service told RT, without specifying what exactly happened.

The causes of the "incident" are now being investigated by a special commission, the company said, adding that specialists are now working on damage control and recovery.

"Not the whole city has been left without electricity, but only its smaller part," the company spokesperson added.

A source in the local emergency services told RT firefighters were dealing with the incident and there was no further threat to civilians. There is no panic in the city, a local official said.

Murmansk, located in the extreme northwest of Russia, is the world's largest city north of the Arctic Circle. Built on the coast of an ice-free bay of the Barents Sea in the Arctic Ocean, Murmansk is one of Russia's largest sea ports. All of the country's nuclear-powered icebreakers are based in the city.

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