A bus drives through the city of San Juan plunged into darkness, on the island of Puerto Rico after a giant power outage on December 31, 2024 (AFP / Ricardo ARDUENGO)
Electricity was restored on Wednesday to most of the island of Puerto Rico after a giant blackout plunged this territory associated with the United States into darkness for New Year's Eve.
Power was restored to at least 1.25 million customers, or 85.6% of those affected, as of 10 a.m. local time (1400 GMT), according to energy operator Luma Energy.
Power returned to the capital San Juan's two main airports, major water facilities and at least 31 hospitals.
According to initial information provided by the electricity company, a problem in an underground cable could be the cause of the outage. Investigations continue. After dark on Tuesday evening, the capital San Juan remained largely shrouded in darkness as the new year rolled in.
Located east of Cuba and west of the French territory of Guadeloupe, the island is home to a total of 3.2 million inhabitants who, due to their special status, hold American nationality but cannot, for example, participate in elections only if they are on United States soil.
– Ongoing infrastructure problems –
A Spanish-speaking territory, Puerto Rico came under United States control in 1898 and faces ongoing infrastructure problems, exacerbated by devastating hurricanes and an earthquake in 2020.
Joggers run down a dark street in San Juan, Puerto Rico, after a major power outage hit the island on December 31, 2024 (AFP / Ricardo ARDUENGO)
Governor Pedro Pierluisi said he spoke with US President Joe Biden and requested continued support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema).
The giant outage occurred as the Caribbean island entered its peak season for tourists from the American mainland, and just hours before New Year's Eve celebrations.
“No American should be forced to start the new year in the dark. I share the frustration of many Puerto Ricans facing another general blackout on the island. They deserve better,” commented on X the US Energy Minister Jennifer Granholm.
The United States government is “following the outage closely” and stands “ready to help” the Puerto Rican authorities, she added.
“We have been facing this problem for a while and rumors have been circulating in recent months saying that what happened today could happen,” Ismael Pérez, a resident of Dorado, in the west, told AFP. from San Juan.
“They say we will be without electricity for almost three days or more,” he added ruefully at a gas station, pointing out the responsibility of current energy suppliers.
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