Puerto Rico left in dark by New Year's Eve blackout

About 90% of the island's customers lost power - the latest in a series of blackouts since Hurricane Maria in 2017.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersPuerto Rico left in dark by New Year's Eve blackoutGetty ImagesTraffic lights are dark and buildings remained without power in San Juan, Puerto Rico amid a New Year's Eve blackout.Puerto Rico was plunged into darkness on New Year's Eve by a nearly island-wide blackout.

About 90% of almost 1.5 million customers had no electricity, said Luma Energy, the island's main power distributor.

By late Tuesday night, more than 700,000 clients, including Puerto Rico's water and sewer company and 16 hospitals, had power back, said Luma.

The blackout prompted renewed calls to address the unincorporated US territory's power issues, which have persisted since Hurricane Maria in 2017.

A failure in an electric line at one of the main power plants, Costa Sur, caused cascading issues across the island, Luma spokesman Hugo Sorrentini said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8782rvv5xxo

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