Cuba was hit by a nationwide blackout Friday, the U.S. Embassy in Havana said.
The embassy said the island lost power after the “collapse of Cuba’s electrical grid.”
Cuban state media reported that officials were investigating what caused the grid failure, while offering no clear estimate for when electricity would be restored.
“All U.S. citizens in Cuba or planning to travel to Cuba should be aware and plan accordingly,” the embassy said. It also cited reports of cellphone and internet disruptions, warning that the country’s increasingly unstable power grid has triggered multiple nationwide blackouts in recent months.
The sun sets over Havana during Friday’s power outage. (Adalberto Roque/AFP via Getty Images)
The embassy said Cuba’s electrical network remains fragile, with outages becoming more frequent and lasting longer. Residents already face daily planned blackouts, while unplanned cuts continue across the country, it added.
Cuba’s energy ministry also addressed the island-wide outage in a social media post.
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A bicycle taxi moves along a Havana street during the nationwide blackout Friday. (Yami Lage/AFP via Getty Images)
Cuba’s power system has faced mounting pressure from fuel shortages, the U.S.-imposed oil blockade and deteriorating infrastructure.
People gather in the dark lobby of a building in Havana, Cuba, during Friday’s outage. (Ricardo Arduengo/Reuters)
Even when there isn’t a national outage, the country often endures rolling blackouts that leave millions without power.
The last national outage happened just last month, and Friday’s marks the seventh this year.