Prolonged Blackout Leaves Several Ñeembucú Communities Without Power
Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- A widespread power outage occurred overnight in several districts of Ñeembucú, Paraguay.
- While power was quickly restored in Pilar, interior communities remained without electricity for over 16 hours, causing concern over economic losses.
- The outage was caused by a failure in the Ayolas-Villalbín connection, affecting businesses and fishermen reliant on refrigeration.
Residents of Ñeembucú, Paraguay, are grappling with the aftermath of a prolonged and widespread power outage that plunged several communities into darkness for over 16 hours. The incident, which began at midnight, highlights persistent issues with the national electricity service, Administración Nacional de Electricidad (ANDE), and its impact on daily life and local economies.
While the capital city of Pilar saw a relatively swift restoration of power, outlying districts such as Paso de Patria, Mayor Martínez, and Itá Corá were left without electricity for an extended period. This prolonged disruption has understandably caused significant distress and frustration among the affected population, who have voiced concerns about the quality and reliability of ANDE's services. The situation is particularly worrying for businesses that depend on refrigeration, such as those dealing in dairy products, poultry, and meats, as well as for fishermen whose livelihoods are tied to the proper preservation of their catch.
There are three crews working in the area. We are repairing a voltage stabilizer.
According to ANDE's regional chief, Marcos Troche, the disruption stemmed from a failure in a voltage stabilizer connected to the Ayolas-Villalbín line. While repair crews are reportedly working to fix the issue, the extended outage underscores a vulnerability in the region's power infrastructure. This event serves as a stark reminder of the critical role reliable electricity plays in supporting economic activity and ensuring the well-being of communities, especially in areas where such services are already prone to disruption.
important economic losses could be registered due to the rupture of the cold chain of products such as yogurts, dairy products, chickens and meats.
Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.