In brief
Sri Lanka faces a nationwide power cut due to an emergency at a sub-station, leaving hospitals and businesses scrambling for alternative power sources.
Sri Lanka has plunged into a nationwide power outage that began around 11:30 local time (06:00 GMT), leaving essential services such as hospitals reliant on generators. The power cut, which has affected the entire island, is reported to stem from an emergency situation at a sub-station operated by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB). According to Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody, a monkey inadvertently caused the disruption by coming into "contact with our grid transformer," leading to an imbalance in the electrical system, as reported by AFP news agency. Efforts to address the situation are underway, with engineers on-site to expedite the restoration of electricity across the country. In light of the failure, hospitals and businesses throughout Sri Lanka’s 22 million residents have been forced to utilize generators or inverters to maintain operations. This significant outage resembles the widespread blackouts experienced during the height of Sri Lanka's economic crisis in 2022, which left the nation grappling with severe energy shortages and broader financial instability. The CEB has assured the public that they are making every effort to rectify the power failure as quickly as possible.
