Island-Wide Blackout Hits Puerto Rico Ahead of Easter Weekend, Affecting 1.4 Million Residents

Puerto Rico experienced a significant power outage on Wednesday, affecting the entire island as residents prepared for the Easter weekend. The blackout left all 1.4 million customers without electricity, according to Hugo Sorrentini, a spokesman for Luma Energy, the company responsible for the transmission and distribution of power in the region. This event marks another island-wide outage, following a similar incident on New Year’s Eve that lasted several days.

The power disruption began at 12:38 p.m. Eastern Time, as reported by Veronica Ferraiuoli, the acting governor and secretary of state for Puerto Rico. In response to the outage, hospitals across the island have switched to generator power to maintain essential services. The cause of the blackout was traced to a transmission line issue in the southern part of Puerto Rico, as stated by Josué Colón, the executive director of the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority.

Genera Power, a private company managing some of the power generation units owned by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, acknowledged the massive impact of the outage. The incident underscores ongoing challenges in the island’s power infrastructure, which has faced multiple disruptions in recent months.

Efforts are underway to restore power to the affected areas, with authorities working to address the transmission line problem. The blackout has raised concerns among residents and officials about the reliability of the island’s power grid, especially during significant events and holidays.