Sri Lanka faced a significant nationwide power outage that affected various sectors, including hospitals and businesses, which had to rely on backup generators. The outage occurred recently, and officials are working to restore electricity across the island nation, which is home to approximately 22 million people.
The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) reported that the power cut was triggered by an emergency at a sub-station located south of Colombo. While the CEB did not provide detailed information about the incident, Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody attributed the outage to an unusual cause: a monkey that came into contact with a grid transformer, disrupting the electrical system.
In response to the crisis, authorities prioritized the restoration of power to medical facilities and water purification plants, recognizing the critical need for these services. The Energy Minister assured the public that engineers are actively working to resolve the issue and restore power as quickly as possible.
As power is gradually being restored, many buildings, including hospitals, have been operating on generators, highlighting the immediate impact of the outage on daily life. This incident comes as a reminder of the challenges Sri Lanka faced during its economic crisis in 2022, when widespread blackouts became a common occurrence.
Officials have expressed their commitment to resolving the situation and minimizing the disruption to the lives of citizens and the functioning of essential services. The CEB emphasized its efforts to rectify the island-wide power failure and restore normalcy.