Slow progress after Cuba’s electrical grid collapses twice in 24 hours

As electricity was being restored in parts of Cuba following an island-wide blackout, a total collapse of the electrical grid occurred once again.

HAVANA — Some progress has been made in reestablishing power throughout Cuba, but most of the island remained in the dark Saturday after the electrical grid collapsed twice in 24 hours.

The power initially went out on the entire island around 11 a.m. Friday after its largest power plant, Antonio Guiteras thermoelectric, failed. Almost all of Cuba’s 10 million inhabitants were in the dark.

As electricity was being restored another total collapse of the electrical grid occurred around 6:15 a.m. Saturday, alarming many across the country.

In the midst of the repairs, Hurricane Oscar formed off the coast of the Bahamas, triggering Cuba’s government to issue a hurricane watch for the provinces of Guantanamo, Holguin, and Las Tunas in the eastern part of the island.

On Saturday there were few cars in the streets of the capital, Havana. Traffic lights were not working. People were out looking for food since much of what they had in the refrigerator is now spoiled. A limited number of stores were open. Some state-run stores opened without power while some of the privately owned ones were operating with generators.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/cuba-power-outage-rcna176227

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