A massive blackout struck Puerto Rico on New Year's Eve, leaving much of the island without power. While essential services were restored, residents face uncertainty as efforts to bring electricity back to all affected areas continue.
Puerto Rico faced a massive power outage on December 31, leaving most of the island without electricity. The blackout, which began early Tuesday morning, impacted nearly all of Puerto Rico, with only critical facilities like hospitals restored by 9 p.m. "We've been without electric power since 5:30 this morning, so we're stocking up here to turn on the generator and sort things out for tonight," said local resident Daisy Negron Gonzalez, who was preparing for potential extended outages.
LUMA Energy, the private company overseeing power distribution, stated that it could take up to 48 hours to fully restore service. "It's going to take a while to get all the power back up, so we're preparing to not be caught off guard for 2-3 days," said local man Elvin Lopez Garcia, as he fueled up his generator. The outage was reportedly caused by a failure in an underground line operated by LUMA, which knocked out both public and private power sources. LUMA spokesperson Ivan Baez confirmed that the failed line disrupted power plants and private generators.
In response to the crisis, Governor Pedro Pierluisi urged both LUMA and Genera to expedite the restoration process, calling for swift action in a social media post. The incident underscores ongoing concerns about Puerto Rico's aging electrical grid, which has faced chronic outages and challenges, especially after Hurricane Maria's devastating impact in 2017.
Read next
23:25
Cannes festival
A suspected arson attack led to widespread power disruptions in southern France on Saturday, affecting Cannes during its world-famous film festival as investigators look into the cause of a fire at a local power station.
13:51
Power Outage
Electricity had been restored to most of Spain and Portugal early on Tuesday after huge nationwide blackouts, although authorities were still trying to find out what caused the sudden outage.
00:22
Power began returning to parts of Spain and Portugal late on Monday after a massive blackout paralysed both countries, grounding flights, halting public transport, and suspending hospital operations.
22:49
Spain’s Interior Ministry declared a state of emergency on Monday after a nationwide power blackout struck much of the Iberian Peninsula.
18:50
A major blackout across Spain and Portugal could last 6 to 10 hours, according to Red Electrica. While power is being restored in some areas, the cause of the outage remains unclear, with authorities considering the possibility of a cyberattack.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment