Three Gold Coast nightclubs close after explosion last night

Three Gold Coast nightclubs were forced to close early at 10 pm last night after the explosion of a high voltage underground cable caused a power outage.

Affected were Melbas On The Park, Cocoon and Helm Bar, among 1,742 business and resident Energex customers.

The explosion of the 11,000-volt cable took place on the corner of Cavill Avenue and Gold Coast Highway at 10 pm, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

The clubs were initially told the problem would be fixed “in minutes” but dragged on for an hour.

As a result, they had to close their doors early and refund customers their money.

Melbas on the Park manager Ricky Munday told the Bulletin that the club was faced with a “massive loss of revenue” and will be seeking compensation.

The club had drawn a large crowd to catch a show by Japanese DJ Koo for the Survival Dance Party.

According to the club’s Facebook page, he will perform tonight.

Helm Bar also had a large crowd for its regular Sunday sessions featuring live bands.

A spokesperson estimated a loss of $10,000.