A power outage in Panama, triggered by an explosion at the La Chorrera Thermoelectric Power Plant, has caused widespread darkness and disrupted water services
A massive power outage has plunged Panama into darkness following an explosion and fire at the La Chorrera Thermoelectric Power Plant. The incident, which authorities believe was caused by a “technical fault” within one of the plant’s generators, has disrupted electricity across the country.
Vicente de la O Levy, Cuba’s minister of energy and mines, said on X Friday night that the country was making progress in restoring electricity. He gave no reason for the power grid’s crash apart from saying it started at the Diezmero substation, which then caused the National Electric System to fail.
Power was still out early Saturday morning; officials gave no estimation of when it would be restored.
CNN showed footage from Havana showing the city in darkness and pedestrians walking with flashlights.
In October, a dayslong power outage forced some in Havana to resort to cooking over improvised stoves in the street. The situation also spurred protests, a rarity in the communist nation. Protesters blocked streets with heaps of trash before security forces dispersed them.
At the time, O Levy dismissed the protests as “isolated and minimal incidents.”
Many Cuban families use electric equipment to prepare their meals. The outage could cause food to thaw in refrigerators and possibly spoil due to the island’s tropical climate.
“When I was about to start cooking and making some spaghetti, the power went out. “And now what?” Cecilia Duquense, a 79-year-old housewife who lives in the working-class neighborhood of Central Havana, said Saturday.
In Havana, people were shopping for food Saturday. Businesses were open, although some were operating using batteries or small home generators.
