Most of Puerto Rico still without energy after the pre -laughed blackout throughout the island

San Juan, Puerto Rico —The Thursday the Crews worked early to restore Posta Rico after a blackout throughout the island that affected the main international airport, several hospitals and hotels full of Easter vacationers.

The interruption that began on Wednesday left 1.4 million customers without electricity and 328,000 without water.

At least 175,000 clients, or 12%, had energy at the end of the day. Officials expected 90% of customers to recover energy within 48 to 72 hours after the interruption.

“It is a shame for the people of Puerto Rico that we have a problem of this magnitude,” said Governor Jenniffer González, who shortened his one -week vacation and returned to Puerto Rico on Wednesday night.

The blackout growled traffic, forced hundreds of companies to close and left the incapable of paying the generators struggling to buy ice and candles.

It is the second blackout throughout the island to hit Puerto Rico in less than four months, with The previous one that occurs on the eve of the New Year.

“Why on vacation?” José Luis Richardson opened, who did not have a generator and remained cool when splashing water every two hours.

Outrage over interruptions grows

The roar of the generators and the smell of the fumes filled the air as a growing number of the renewed Puerto Ricans called so that the government cancels the Contract with Luma Energywhich supervises the transmission and distribution of power, and the PR, which supervises the generation.

González promised to pay attention to those calls.

“That is not in doubt or question,” he said, but added that it is not a fast process. “It is unacceptable that we have failures of this type.”

González said that an important interruption like the one that occurred on Wednesday leads to an estimated revenue loss of $ 230 million daily.

Ramón C. Barquín III, president of United Retail Center, a non -profit organization that represents small and medium enterprises, warned that the in progress would scare possible investors at a time that Puerto Rico urgently needs economic development urgently.

“We cannot continue repeating this cycle of blackouts without taking concrete measures to strengthen our energy infrastructure,” he said.

Many were also worried about the town of Elders of Puerto Rico, with the mayor of Canovanas deploying brigades to visit the bed prostrate and those that depend on electronic medical equipment.

Meanwhile, the mayor of Vega Alta opened a center to provide energy to those with medical equipment that save lives.

Cause of the last blackout that is being investigated

It was not immediately clear what the closure caused, the last thing in a series of large blackouts on the island in recent years.

Daniel Hernández, Vice President of Operations of Genera PR, said on Wednesday that a disturbance hit the transmission system shortly after noon, a time when the network is vulnerable because there are few machines that regulate the frequency at that time.

The island’s network has deteriorated as a result of lack of maintenance and investment.

Puerto Rico has had problems with chronic interruptions since September 2017 When Hurricane Maria hit the island Like a powerful category 4 storm, dragging an electric grid that the equipment is still struggling to rebuild. As the island was beginning to rebuild, it was hit again by Hurricane Fiona in 2022.

The island of 3.2 million residents has a poverty rate of more than 40%, and not everyone can pay panels or solar generators. While there was an impulse to use more renewable energy sources under the administration of former president of the United States, Joe Biden, which provided Puerto Rico Mega generators and other resources, experts worry that it does not happen under the president of the United States, Donald Trump.

In:
• Puerto Rico
• Energy cuts
• Blackout