Cuba blackout leaves millions without power again

Share Save Add as preferred on Google Maia Davies EPA/Shutterstock Millions in Cuba were left without power on Friday as the country was plunged into yet another major blackout.

The country's entire electricity grid suffered "total disconnection" that triggered a nationwide outage, Cuba's energy ministry said.

Power was restored to some priority areas by late evening, including those near hospitals and water pumping stations in the capital Havana, grid operator UNE said.

It is at least the sixth partial or total blackout to hit Cuba this year, where ageing electricity infrastructure and chronic fuel shortages have been placed under further strain by a US blockade on oil shipments to the communist-run nation.

UNE said the outage started just before 14:00 local time on Friday (18:00 GMT) due to a transmission fault coupled with poor weather conditions in central Cuba.