Canary Island hotspot plunged into blackout as disaster blamed on one thing
Chaos has erupted on a popular holiday destination after a huge blackout plunged the island into darkness. La Palma, part of the Spanish-owned Canary Islands, is one of the lesser-known hotspots of the archipelago.
Last year, it attracted around 120,000 international and domestic visitors - which may seem a lot - but feels like a mere drop in the ocean compared to the seven million that flocked to Tenerife during the same period.
Famed for its rugged volcanic landscape, rich wildlife, and clear skies that are perfect for stargazing, the island offers a more chilled-out vibe compared to its insatiably popular neighbours. Here, you won't have to rub shoulders with a complete stranger when sunbathing on the beach, or trying to get last-minute dinner reservations.
But, on June 10 a significant power cut struck the island, leaving around 50,000 residents in the dark. Considering the island only has a population of around 84,000 people - this shows just how widespread the fault was.
The blackout, which occurred around 5.30pm, was attributed to a turbine malfunction at the Los Guinchos power station. The Canary Islands authorities swiftly swung into action, launching an emergency Civil Protection plan.
No injuries have been reported following the temporary power loss. However, local media says firefighters were called to assist people who were left stuck in elevators, while families were left to navigate life in the dark.
The power cut comes shortly after a previous severe outage that sparked chaos last month (May 8), which impacted nearly 20,000 people. Island president Sergio Rodriguez voiced his frustration following the latest outage, criticising La Palma as an island 'which is not in the first world '.
He urgently called for intervention from both Madrid and the regional government, stating: "The power station we've got is obsolete and slows down our development." But, by around 8.30pm, updates from the national grid operator, Redeia, indicated that power had been restored to about 30 per cent of those hit by the afternoon's electrical disruption, reports the Express.
By the end of the night, Endesa, Spain's largest electricity company confirmed power had been fully restored. "The causes of the incident are being analysed," it added.
The blackout follows a series of infrastructure problems that have wreaked havoc on the nation. Back in April, the Iberian peninsula was hit by a major power outage that is reported to have affected tens of millions of people. This incident is still being investigated by officials.
According to the Telegraph, just a week later and thousands of railway passengers were left stranded after thieves stole copper cables from the high-speed train line connected Seville to Madrid. "Then Telefónica, a telecoms company in which the state has a 10 per cent stake, suffered a power cut for several hours that cut emergency service lines and the internet in parts of the country," the publication added.
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