Tons of concerned commuters are writing in wondering about what's going on around Grand Central. Fear not:

Fire and emergency crews responded to the scene of a suspected transformer explosion in Manhattan on Wednesday during the evening rush hour, officials said. It is not terrorism-related, the officials said.

Smoke was seen billowing above the east side of Manhattan, and several blocks were evacuated.

The explosion occurred at 43st Street and Lexington Avenue.

Got it? We always knew we were more likely to die at the hands of Con Ed than al-Qaeda anyway. A cynical reader provides an alternate explanation: "I think that explosion of the transformer near/inside Grand Central Station was viral marketing for the Transformers movie. I can't prove it, but you can't prove me wrong."

Update: It's now being reported as a steam pipe explosion. Maybe Woody Harrelson has a movie coming out soon?

Transformer Explosion at 43st Street and Lexington Avenue [A.P.]
[Image: BJ Garcia]