Home / Disasters and Accidents / Islandwide Blackout Hits Jamaica; JPS Investigates Cause
Islandwide Blackout Hits Jamaica; JPS Investigates Cause
7 Jun
Summary
- Jamaica experienced a rare islandwide power outage Friday night.
- The electricity distribution firm JPS is investigating the cause of the incident.
- Energy Minister Daryl Vaz demanded a full report from JPS within 24 hours.
Jamaica has successfully restored power to its residents following a rare islandwide blackout that occurred Friday night. The outage began around 9 pm local time and impacted the entire nation of 2.8 million people, sparking concerns about grid resilience, particularly at the start of the Atlantic hurricane season.
Minister of Energy Daryl Vaz has declared the situation 'unacceptable' and has formally requested a comprehensive report from the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), the island's sole electricity provider, within the next 24 hours. This report is expected to detail the exact cause of the widespread disruption.
By Saturday morning, JPS reported that power had been restored to the majority of its 700,000 customers. Vaz confirmed that all affected individuals have had their electricity supply returned, though he urged anyone experiencing lingering issues to contact his office. The minister pledged to keep the public informed about the ongoing restoration efforts.
