
Electrical lines from a toppled utility pole kill 4 horses as Puerto Rico's power grid deteriorates
There was no word immediately as to what had caused the pole in the mountain town of Utuado to fall. Police said in a statement that officials and firefighters were at the scene.
It was the latest incident affecting Puerto Rico's crumbling power grid, which is still being rebuilt after Hurricane Maria pummeled the island as a powerful Category 4 storm in September 2017.
Chronic outages still regularly strike the island as the government pledges to end the contract of Luma, a private company that oversees the transmission and distribution of power on the island.
In March 2018, a utility pole fell in the central mountain town of Las Marías and killed a couple in their 60s who were driving through the town, sparking outrage over the state of infrastructure six months after the hurricane.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


New York Post
6 hours ago
- New York Post
At least five people rescued from New Mexico mountain village after massive floods hit the area
Another afternoon of heavy rainfall on Thursday prompted flash flooding in the mountain village of Ruidoso, forcing the closure of roads and the rescue of at least five people who were trapped by the rushing water. The southern New Mexico community has been reeling this summer, with afternoon thunderstorms bringing more rain than the surrounding mountainsides can handle. Past wildfires have stripped the hills of trees and vegetation, leaving the Ruidoso area vulnerable to repeated flooding. 3 Another afternoon of heavy rainfall on Thursday prompted flash flooding in the mountain village of Ruidoso. AP It was less than three weeks ago that massive flooding killed three people and damaged hundreds of homes, resulting in state and federal disaster declarations. On Thursday, residents shared videos on social media that showed walls of muddy water coursing down creeks and over roads, ripping apart a mobile home and toppling trees along the way. Authorities were blocking traffic to keep vehicles out of the water as onlookers watched from higher ground. Forecasters with the National Weather Service routinely have been issuing flash-flood watches and warnings as the summer rainy season is in full force. 3 On Thursday, residents shared videos on social media that showed walls of muddy water coursing down creeks and over roads, ripping apart a mobile home and toppling trees along the way. Justin Portwood via REUTERS 3 Flood watches also were issued Thursday for parts of northern New Mexico, according to reports. Justin Portwood via REUTERS They reported Thursday that one stretch of the Rio Ruidoso had risen to roughly 12.5 feet (3.81 meters) as a result of the burn-scar flooding. Flood watches also were issued Thursday for parts of northern New Mexico around burn scars left by the 2022 Calf Canyon Hermit's Peak blazes.


Hamilton Spectator
10 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Fires engulf Turkey's Mediterranean coast as government declares 2 disaster zones
ISTANBUL (AP) — Fresh wildfires broke out on Turkey 's Mediterranean coast Friday, as the government declared two western provinces to be disaster zones. TV footage showed flames and smoke billowing into the sky close to high-rise apartment blocks in Antalya, where local and foreign visitors flock during the summer months. Homes were evacuated in the city center and the outlying district of Aksu as the fire advanced, privately owned news agency DHA reported. Firefighters struggled to extinguish the blazes before strong winds could spread the fire, which closed a major coastal road. Further along the coast, homes in the city of Manavgat were also threatened. Local residents with hoses and buckets rushed to assist firefighters as water-dropping helicopters and planes also battled the flames. Police water cannons and municipal water trucks were also enlisted in firefighting efforts. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Friday that Izmir and Bilecik provinces had been declared 'disaster areas affecting public life,' one step down from the most serious level of emergency. Between June 27 and July 24, residents from 120 neighborhoods nationwide were evacuated, Yerlikaya added, and more than 12,000 workers under the ministry's authority, such as police and rescue staff, had fought the fires. In a social media post, the minister said 311 homes had been destroyed or heavily damaged during the month-long blazes and 85 temporary housing units were set up across three western provinces for those made homeless. Turkey has faced widespread outbreaks of forest fires since late June. Thirteen people have died, including 10 firefighters killed Thursday in a fire in Eskisehir, western Turkey. Temperatures above seasonal norms have been exacerbated by strong winds and dry conditions, resulting in dozens of wildfires. East of Antalya, fires broke out in Adana and Mersin on Friday. Elsewhere in the country, firefighters continued battling blazes in Eskisehir and nearby Karabuk that have been raging for several days.

Associated Press
10 hours ago
- Associated Press
Fires engulf Turkey's Mediterranean coast as government declares 2 disaster zones
ISTANBUL (AP) — Fresh wildfires broke out on Turkey 's Mediterranean coast Friday, as the government declared two western provinces to be disaster zones. TV footage showed flames and smoke billowing into the sky close to high-rise apartment blocks in Antalya, where local and foreign visitors flock during the summer months. Homes were evacuated in the city center and the outlying district of Aksu as the fire advanced, privately owned news agency DHA reported. Firefighters struggled to extinguish the blazes before strong winds could spread the fire, which closed a major coastal road. Further along the coast, homes in the city of Manavgat were also threatened. Local residents with hoses and buckets rushed to assist firefighters as water-dropping helicopters and planes also battled the flames. Police water cannons and municipal water trucks were also enlisted in firefighting efforts. Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Friday that Izmir and Bilecik provinces had been declared 'disaster areas affecting public life,' one step down from the most serious level of emergency. Between June 27 and July 24, residents from 120 neighborhoods nationwide were evacuated, Yerlikaya added, and more than 12,000 workers under the ministry's authority, such as police and rescue staff, had fought the fires. In a social media post, the minister said 311 homes had been destroyed or heavily damaged during the month-long blazes and 85 temporary housing units were set up across three western provinces for those made homeless. Turkey has faced widespread outbreaks of forest fires since late June. Thirteen people have died, including 10 firefighters killed Thursday in a fire in Eskisehir, western Turkey. Temperatures above seasonal norms have been exacerbated by strong winds and dry conditions, resulting in dozens of wildfires. East of Antalya, fires broke out in Adana and Mersin on Friday. Elsewhere in the country, firefighters continued battling blazes in Eskisehir and nearby Karabuk that have been raging for several days.