Electrical Chaos: Panama and Colón were Without Power and Water
The fault originated in a 115-kilovolt line of the National Electric System.
A massive blackout took thousands of users by surprise in Colón and the capital city, leaving areas in total darkness and without water supply. The fault originated in a 115-kilovolt line of the National Electric System, causing a chain reaction of service outages in different areas of the country. Among the most affected areas reported are residences and businesses in Chilibre, Calzada Larga, La Locería, El Marañón, Justo Arosemena Avenue, San Francisco and the International Banking Center, where the interruption occurred at the critical time of the closing of the financial day, generating tension between workers and users.
The Electric Transmission Company, SA (ETESA) reported that technical teams were immediately deployed to address the fault and restore service; however, adverse weather conditions complicated and delayed the recovery efforts. For its part, IDAAN confirmed that the Federico Guardia Conte water treatment plant in Chilibre, one of the country’s main plants, went offline after the event, causing interruptions and irregularities in the water supply in Panama City and San Miguelito. The water treatment plants in Sabanitas and Gatún, in Colón, were also taken out of operation. The emergency also impacted transportation mobility: the Panama Metro suspended operations for 10 minutes while the system stabilized.
