Conspiracy theorists came out of the woodwork after a massive explosion erupted south of St. Petersburg, Russia, on Monday, causing wild speculation and online concerns of the beginning of Armageddon.

As news and videos of the spectacular event went viral this week, the cause of the explosion ranged from Martian visitation to a nuclear bomb test gone wrong.


Motorists driving along a busy freeway around 9 a.m. in the former imperial capital city of Russia were met with the sight of an incredible explosion that lit up the entire horizon ahead of them.

One driver who captured the overwhelming spectacle on a dashboard camera was enjoying John Lennon's classic Imagine playing in the car when the sky suddenly lit up. And in another video taken from a different angle, the explosion resulted in a smoke plume rising into the air, according to Fontaka, St. Petersburg's online newspaper.

A "fire brigade was summoned by local residents," said the paper, which reported that as soon as restoration work work was completed, "all consumers [would] receive electricity in normal mode."

The Telegraph reported that cars were braking all over Vitebsk Avenue as the amazing light display knocked out street lights.

The explanation of this temporarily chilling event, however, turned out to be a bit more earthly than what out-of-this-world and nuclear theorists would have everyone initially believe.

A technical malfunction at an electrical power plant in St. Petersburg was the apparent culprit. It caused a temporary blackout and no injuries were reported.