Puerto Rico's electrical system breaks down, leaving territory without power
Puerto Rico awakened to complete darkness Tuesday as an electrical system malfunction left virtually the entire territory powerless.
Approximately 90% of customers had no electricity as of 9:30 a.m. (1330 GMT), based on data shown on energy provider Luma Energy's live monitoring system.
Restoring power will probably require 24 to 48 hours, "conditions permitting," Luma announced in a released statement.
"While the cause of the outage is under investigation, preliminary findings point to a failure in an underground line," Luma added.
Ivan Baez, speaking as a representative for electricity producer Genera, described the system breakdown as a "major incident" during a radio conversation with local media.
He explained that the suspected failed line, managed by Luma, triggered shutdowns at both Genera facilities and independent power producers.
Genera's online platform indicated two facilities had resumed operations by 9:30 a.m. in the American territory.
Puerto Rico has struggled with persistent electricity disruptions amid deteriorating infrastructure. The territory suffered severe damage from Hurricane Maria, a Category 4 cyclone, in 2017.