NEW YORK, July 14 (Xinhua) -- Approximately 72,000 people were affected by the massive blackout in New York City's Manhattan on Saturday evening, utility service company Con Edison said Sunday.

The company said in a statement that a significant electrical transmission disturbance occurred at 6:47 p.m. local time, impacting multiple circuits in the area and leading to the loss of service to tens of thousands of customers.

The affected area stretched from 40th Street in the south to 72nd Street in the north, and from Fifth Avenue to the Hudson River.

Power was restored to all the affected areas shortly before midnight on Saturday.

The company said it "sincerely regrets the power disruption to our customers on the west side of Manhattan last night and will be conducting a diligent and vigorous investigation to determine the root cause of the incident."

The blackout happened on the same date that a large power failure in 1977 plunged the city into darkness.

"Once we get past the emergency, then I want to know what the heck happened, because this is not the first time we have had a substation issue," New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo told local media.

Meanwhile, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio ruled out terrorism and criminal activity.