Update: Majority of power restored at Destiny USA mall in Syracuse

Update 7:20 p.m.: Most of Destiny USA’s power will be restored almost two hours after a large part of the mall went dark.
Power should be back up by 7:30 p.m., said Will Brunell, a spokesperson for National Grid.
The mall lost power due to a switch gear failing, he said. The switch gear allows circuits to be turned on and off inside the mall’s breakers, he said. It’s still unclear why the gear failed.
As they try to fix the problem, he said it’s possible a small section of the mall may still be without power.
Original story:
Syracuse, N.Y. — The electricity has gone out in most of Destiny USA mall in Syracuse on Friday afternoon.
At 4:45 p.m., people could be seen using flashlights to get out of the mall. Workers were gathering outside. Gates are closed on some stores.
The escalators are not working.
The outages hit the new section of the mall the most but some stores are out in the original mall.
National Grid crews were dispatched to the mall at about 5 p.m., said Jared Paventi, a utility spokesman. They had not yet diagnosed the cause of the outage, he said.
“They will work to get this resolved as quickly as they can,’’ he said.
The Syracuse Fire Department has also responded to the mall. Firefighters were investigating reports of a blown transformer outside the Cheesecake Factory, according to the Onondaga County 911 Center.
This story is being updated as more information is available.
Staff writer Timia Cobb covers breaking news. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at [email protected].
.