ReportWire

Tag: Power Outages

  • Cuba protests US comments following protests against power blackouts, food shortages

    Cuba protests US comments following protests against power blackouts, food shortages

    [ad_1]

    HAVANA — Cuba’s government on Monday protested as interventionist comments from the U.S. Embassy on the island following demonstrations against power blackouts and food shortages by hundreds of people in eastern Cuba.

    Cuba’s Foreign Ministry delivered a note expressing the complaint to the chargé d’affaires at the U.S. diplomatic mission in Havana, Benjamin Ziff.

    On Sunday, protesters took to the streets in the eastern city of Santiago decrying power outages lasting up to eight hours and shortages of food. State media confirmed the protests in Santiago, while the U.S. Embassy in Havana said there were also reports of protests in a number of other provinces across the island.

    Videos showing people chanting “electricity and food” were quickly shared by Cubans on and off the island on platforms like X and Facebook. A nongovernmental human rights group that monitors Cuba said there had been at least three arrests.

    The U.S. Embassy urged the Cuban government to respect the protests in a post on its Facebook page.

    “We urge the Cuban government to respect the human rights of the protesters and attend to the legitimate needs of the Cuban people,” it said.

    On Monday, Cuban Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Fernández de Cossío, speaking to The Associated Press, called the comments “disrespectful“ and an ”open interference is Cuba’s domestic affairs.”

    “It was also cynical, as we said publicly, and hypocritical because it was referring to issues that are occurring in Cuba in which there’s an import and responsibility from the U.S. government,” said Fernández de Cossío, referring to the longstanding U.S. embargo on the island.

    Cuba is facing one of the worst economic and energy crises in its history. Waves of blackouts have grown worse in recent weeks, adding to frustrations over food shortages and inflation that have made it increasingly difficult to make ends meet on the communist-governed island. Hundreds of thousands of people have migrated, with many headed to the United States.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Internet outage hits several African countries as undersea cables fail

    Internet outage hits several African countries as undersea cables fail

    [ad_1]

    ABUJA, Nigeria — A dozen countries across Africa suffered a major internet outage on Thursday as multiple undersea telecommunication cables reported failures, network operators and internet watch groups said.

    The MTN Group, one of Africa’s largest network providers, said the ongoing disruptions were a result of failures in multiple major undersea cables. “Our operations are actively working to reroute traffic through alternative network paths,” the South African company said in a statement.

    Network disruptions caused by cable damage have occurred in Africa in recent years. However, “today’s disruption points to something larger (and) this is amongst the most severe,” said Isik Mater, director of research at NetBlocks, a group that documents internet disruptions around the world.

    NetBlocks said data transmission and measurement shows a major disruption to international transits, “likely at or near the subsea network cable landing points.”

    The cause of the failure was not immediately clear.

    There were fears of disruption of essential services in worst-hit countries like Ivory Coast where the disruption was severe. Africa leads mobile device web traffic in the world, with many of the continent’s businesses relying on the internet to deliver services to their customers.

    The West Africa Cable System (WACS), the Africa Coast to Europe (ACE), SAT-3 and MainOne were among the system cables that observers said were affected in Thursday’s outage.

    Internet analysis firm Cloudflare reported a pattern in the timing of the disruptions that heavily impacted at least 10 countries in West Africa, including Ivory Coast, Liberia, Benin, Ghana, and Burkina Faso.

    Vodacom, South Africa’s mobile operator, also reported “intermittent connectivity issues due to multiple undersea cable failures.” Namibia and Lesotho were also affected.

    The impact from such cable failures worsens as networks attempt to route around the damage, potentially reducing the capacity available to other countries, said Mater with NetBlocks.

    “The initial disruption may be a physical cut, but subsequent issues could be of a technical nature,” said Mater.

    ____

    Follow AP’s Africa coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Power outage affects over 5,000 SMUD customers in Natomas area

    Power outage affects over 5,000 SMUD customers in Natomas area

    [ad_1]

    (FOX40.COM) — A power outage in the Natomas area affected over 5,000 SMUD customers on Thursday, according to the utility’s outage map.

    SMUD said that the reason for the outage is unknown, but as of 9:16 p.m., it said that 5,256 customers were without power. Power was expected to be restored around 9:30 p.m., but SMUD updated the time to between 10 and 10:40 p.m.

    The area most affected was South Natomas near San Juan Road and Truxel Road just south of Interstate 80.

    The outage occurred just before 8 p.m. and also affected some SMUD customers in the North Natomas and North Sacramento area.

    As of 10 p.m., power was restored to over 3,000 SMUD customers, but 1,280 were still without power.

    [ad_2]

    Aydian Ahmad

    Source link

  • SMUD reporting over 4,000 power outages as severe weather begins to come down on Sacramento

    SMUD reporting over 4,000 power outages as severe weather begins to come down on Sacramento

    [ad_1]

    (FOX40.COM) — While severe weather was forecasted for Monday in the Sacramento region, plenty of rain and windy conditions came down on the area on Sunday night and has left over 4,000 SMUD customers without power, per the utility’s outage map.

    According to SMUD, over 4,000 customers are without power in Sacramento as of 10:15 p.m. on Sunday.

    Although the day began dry with some windy conditions, but once the sun went down, the intensity of the rain went up.

    An image of SMUD’s outage map at 10:21 p.m. on Sunday night. (Image Credit: SMUD Outage Map)

    Video shared to social media by the FOX40 News Team shows rain pouring down in East and South Sacramento on Sunday night.

    Craig Shoemaker, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service (NWS) said this current storm system is “very complex” and has “numerous weather elements that could cause hazardous conditions across Northern California.”

    Those hazardous conditions include flooding, power outages, and maybe even some tornadoes.

    According to NWS, windy conditions are expected to last through Tuesday. The agency is also encouraging those caught in the rain to monitor the weather before heading outside while the storm system moves through the area.

    [ad_2]

    Aydian Ahmad

    Source link

  • Microsoft Teams outage blocks access, limits features for some users

    Microsoft Teams outage blocks access, limits features for some users

    [ad_1]

    Microsoft Teams experienced an outage on Friday that blocked access for some and led to what Microsoft calls “multiple issues” for many users.

    The issue began around 11 a.m. EST and grew rapidly in scope, according to outage tracker DownDetector. Users complained of an inability to access the service, delays in sending and receiving messages, and issues displaying graphics.

    Microsoft said in messages on X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, that it identified “a networking issue impacting a portion of the Teams service” and had moved some services to backup systems. At roughly 1:30 p.m. EST, the company reported that the backup transition was complete for Europe, Africa and the Middle East and that its tracking systems were showing improvements.

    The company said backup switchovers for North and South America were ongoing. Outage reports on DownDetector fell to almost half their peak level as of 3 p.m. EST but subsequently leveled off, indicating continued issues.

    Teams is a messaging and videoconferencing app with over 320 million monthly average users as of September 2023.

    X users based in the U.S. continued to complain about Teams service issues, with several sarcastically thanking Microsoft for fixing the problem quickly in regions where the workday is already over. In a subsequent tweet, Microsoft acknowledged that its backup switchover “did not provide immediate relief to all end users in North and South America regions” but said its other attempts at mitigation aimed to “reduce customer impact as quickly as possible.”

    Microsoft’s public tweets on the subject have pointed to additional detail available in a document posted in an administrative dashboard for Microsoft 365 software. When asked about that document, a Microsoft spokesperson at the public relations firm WE Communications said the company’s X posts were the only information it would share on the subject.

    But Microsoft offered a somewhat bleaker outlook to its customers in that document, which was obtained by The Associated Press. The document detailed roughly a dozen different issues caused by the outage, including inability to log into the service, missing or delayed messages, and inability to access or view images, video, audio recordings and other media. In an update at 4:26 p.m. EST, the company said its efforts to route around problems had led to issues with backend parts of its system that effectively “throttled” data traffic.

    At 5:02 p.m. EST, Microsoft also acknowledged that “many customers remain impacted by this issue” but said the company is seeing “a reduction in errors and an increase in (service) availability.” The company has also said was working to address specific failures of Teams functions in parallel with its broader network efforts.

    According to DownDetector, reported issues with Teams continued to decline and were close to normal levels as of 7:45 p.m. EST.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Memphis residents are on day 4 of a boil water notice while ice hits Arkansas and Missouri

    Memphis residents are on day 4 of a boil water notice while ice hits Arkansas and Missouri

    [ad_1]

    MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis was on its fourth day of living under a boil water notice on Monday, as repair crews worked to fix broken pipes in the hopes of easing the stress caused by a week of sub-freezing temperatures, snow and ice in this southern city.

    Memphis’ water company issued an advisory on Friday that residents of this city of more than 600,000 people should boil water they intended to use for drinking, brushing their teeth and preparing food. That’s because low pressure in the system and breaks in water mains could allow harmful bacteria to contaminate the water supply.

    Some residents lost all water service after winter storms that have caused at least 75 deaths around the U.S. this month, many involving hypothermia or road accidents. In Tennessee, the several inches of snow and unusually low temperatures led the Tennessee Valley Authority to ask the 10 million people in its service area to conserve energy to avoid rolling blackouts. The utility saw its highest demand for electricity ever last week but the system remained stable.

    Memphis, Light, Gas and Water CEO Doug McGowen told reporters Sunday afternoon that crews were making progress with repairs and he expects most customers to have water service restored on Monday and Tuesday. They will still have to boil water, likely through Thursday, though.

    Pamela Wells had been without any water since Thursday morning when she noticed a trickle coming through on Sunday night.

    “We kept praying that it was a sign that water was on the way,” she said. They woke up Monday morning to find water pressure restored to about 40% of normal. “Hopefully we’re on our way to full restoration of our water.”

    Family and friends have helped them by delivering bottled water, she said, but she really missed things that she normally takes for granted like being able to wash her hands in the sink or take a shower.

    As Memphis continued to thaw, McGowen also asked people to stop dripping their faucets and resist the temptation to wash their cars to help build pressure in the system. The city has been repairing at least 51 water main breaks and located more than 4,000 leaks at homes and businesses.

    Memphis was the largest, but not the only, water system in Tennessee to experience problems from the unusually cold weather. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said on Sunday night that 28 water systems were under boil water notices and 17 counties were reporting operational issues with their water utilities.

    In Tipton County, the fire department in Mason warned residents on Sunday to be prepared for a multiday water outage.

    “There is no current time table on how long it will be before water services will be fully restored to all customers,” fire officials said in a Facebook post.

    The outages and boil water notices led residents throughout West Tennessee to clean out bottled water supplies in stores. There were also long lines for bottled water giveaways by local governments and churches.

    As Memphis was warming up and beginning to reopen closed businesses and government offices, freezing rain was falling in Arkansas and Missouri, leading to fatal accidents and concerns of possible power outages.

    Forecasters warned that up to a half-inch (1.27 centimeters) of ice could coat parts of the area by Monday evening. That prompted an ice storm warning for Monday that included much of the Arkansas Ozark Mountains and the cities of Fayetteville and Fort Smith. A small part of northeastern Oklahoma was also under an ice storm warning Monday, the National Weather Service said.

    The ice – combined with winds of up to 20 mph (32 kph) – could lead to power outages, the agency said.

    In Missouri, three fatal accidents were reported Monday morning as freezing drizzle in some spots and freezing rain in others created a thin coat of ice that blanketed much of the state. Capt. John Hotz of the Missouri State Highway Patrol said one fatal accident involved a Missouri Department of Transportation truck, but no further details were immediately released. Twenty others were injured in accidents statewide. Most involved cars, trucks and semi-trailers skidding on the ice.

    “Just lots of slide-offs,” said Dallas Thompson, a St. Louis-area trooper.

    Meanwhile, heavy rain in Southern California prompted the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management to issue an evacuation warning near Topanga Canyon effective through Tuesday morning due to possible mud or debris flows.

    The Los Angeles office of the National Weather Service reported possible rain totals up to 1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters) and up to 2.5 inches (6.3 centimeters) across the area’s foothills through Monday night.

    ___

    Jim Salter in O’Fallon, Missouri, and Jeff Martin in Atlanta contributed to this report.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Japan's nuclear safety agency orders power plant operator to study the impact of Jan. 1 quake

    Japan's nuclear safety agency orders power plant operator to study the impact of Jan. 1 quake

    [ad_1]

    TOKYO — Japan’s nuclear safety regulators have told the operator of a nuclear power plant in the area hit by a powerful New Year’s Day quake to study its potential impact.

    The Nuclear Regulation Authority, or NRA, asked for further investigation even though initial assessments showed the Shika nuclear power plant’s cooling systems and ability to contain radiation remained intact.

    The order reflects Japan‘s greater vigilance about safety risks after meltdowns in 2011 at a plant in Fukushima, on the northeastern Pacific coast, following a magnitude 9 quake and a massive tsunami.

    The Jan. 1 magnitude 7.6 quake and dozens of strong aftershocks have left 206 people dead and dozens more unaccounted for. It also caused small tsunami. But Hokuriku Electric Power Co., the plant’s operator, reported it had successfully dealt with damage to transformers, temporary outages and sloshing of spent fuel cooling pools that followed the quakes.

    Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi emphasized that the plant was safe. Eighteen of 116 radiation monitoring posts installed in Ishikawa prefecture, where Shika is located, and in neighboring Toyama briefly failed after the quake. All but two have since been repaired and none showed any abnormality, he said.

    Shika is a town on the western coast of the Noto peninsula, where the quake did the most damage, leaving roads gaping, toppling and collapsing buildings and triggering landslides.

    Hokuriku Electric Power Co., reported that water had spilled from the spent fuel pools in both reactors. Transformers in both reactors were damaged and leaked oil, causing a temporary loss of power in one of the cooling pools. Company officials reported no further safety problems at the Nuclear Regulatory Administration’s weekly meeting Wednesday.

    But NRA officials said the utility should consider a possibility of fresh damage to transformers and other key equipment as aftershocks continue.

    NRA chairperson Shinsuke Yamanaka urged the utility to thoroughly investigate the cause of the transformer damage and promptly report its findings. They also were instructed to study if earthquake responses at the plant should be a reevaluated.

    The Shika reactors were inaugurated in 1993 and 2006. They have been offline since the 2011 disaster. Hokuriku Electric applied to restart the newer No. 2 reactor in 2014, but safety checks by the nuclear safety agency were delayed due to the need to determine if there were active faults near the plant. The nuclear officials concluded active faults in the area were not underneath the reactors.

    Hokuriku still hopes to restart the No. 2 reactor by 2026.

    Both the government and business leaders generally support restarting the many reactors that were idled for safety checks and upgrades after the Fukushima disaster.

    The head of Japan’s powerful business organization Keidanren, Masakazu Tokura, visited the Shika plant last year. But on Tuesday he urged the utility to be fully transparent and ensure it was safe.

    “Many people are concerned, and I hope (the utility) provides adequate information at an appropriate time,” Tokura said.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • AP PHOTOS: In idyllic Kashmir's 'Great Winter,' cold adds charm but life is challenging for locals

    AP PHOTOS: In idyllic Kashmir's 'Great Winter,' cold adds charm but life is challenging for locals

    [ad_1]

    SRINAGAR, India — The skies are overcast. On the plains, temperatures have dropped below freezing. High on the mountains, peaks are draped in thick snow.

    This is the time of “Chillai Kalan,” also called “The Great Winter,” a Kashmiri phrase that defines the harshest 40 days of cold in disputed Kashmir that commence in late December and extend into January and early February.

    Renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, Kashmir in winter transforms into a wonderland. Tourists fill its hotels to ski, sledge, and trek the Himalayan landscape.

    But winter also brings the region’s most challenging weather conditions, affecting daily routines in agriculture, transportation and other livelihoods.

    For locals, the major source of heat is the kanger, a pot filled with hot coal embers tucked inside their pheran, a traditional knee-length cloak. Almost ensnared by its warmth, people only step outside for work and other essentials.

    The subzero temperatures in Kashmir, a disputed region between India and Pakistan that has been marred by decades of conflict, also coincide with frequent power cuts. It is one of the idyllic valley’s long-standing, unresolved crises.

    This year the unscheduled power outages, sometimes lasting 12 to 16 hours, have disrupted patient care for those with respiratory illnesses and affected businesses.

    Residents have long accused New Delhi of stifling their hydropower potential, as most of such power produced locally goes to various Indian states, leaving 13% for Kashmir. The region must purchase electricity at higher prices from India’s northern grid to meet demand.

    The stillness of winter in Kashmir, however, also offers a promise of vibrancy come spring. The cold rejuvenates fields and orchards, mainstays of the region’s economy, and the snow replenishes freshwater streams.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Japan quake toll hits 30 as rescuers race to find survivors

    Japan quake toll hits 30 as rescuers race to find survivors

    [ad_1]

    Firefighters extinguish a fire in Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, early on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024.

    Soichiro Koriyama | Bloomberg | Getty Images

    At least 30 people were killed after a powerful earthquake hit Japan on New Year’s Day, with rescue teams on Tuesday struggling to reach isolated areas where buildings had been toppled, roads wrecked and power cut to tens of thousands of homes.

    The quake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.6 struck in the middle of the afternoon on Monday, prompting residents in some coastal areas to flee to higher ground as tsunami waves hit Japan’s west coast, sweeping some cars and houses into the sea.

    Thousands of army personnel, firefighters and police officers from across the country have been dispatched to the worst-hit area in the Noto peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture.

    However, rescue efforts have been hindered by badly damaged and blocked roads and authorities say they are finding it difficult to assess the full extent of the fallout.

    Many rail services, ferries and flights into the area have been suspended. Noto airport has closed due to damage to its runway, terminal and access roads, with 500 people stranded inside cars in its parking lot, according to public broadcaster NHK.

    “The search and rescue of those impacted by the quake is a battle against time,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said during an emergency disaster meeting on Tuesday.

    Kishida said rescuers were finding it very difficult to reach the northern tip of the Noto peninsula due to wrecked roads, and that helicopter surveys had discovered many fires and widespread damage to buildings and infrastructure.

    Authorities in Ishikawa said they had confirmed 30 deaths from the earthquake so far, with half of those fatalities in hard-hit Wajima city near the quake’s epicentre.

    Firefighters have been battling blazes in several cities and trying to free more people trapped in collapsed buildings, Japan’s fire and disaster management agency said.

    More than 140 tremors have been detected since the quake first hit on Monday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The agency has warned more strong shocks could hit in the coming days.

    Wrecked homes

    Nobuko Sugimori, a 74-year-old resident of Nanao city in Ishikawa, told Reuters she had never experienced such a quake before.

    “I tried to hold the TV set to keep it from toppling over, but I could not even keep myself from swaying violently from side to side,” Sugimori said from her home which had a large crack down its front wall and furniture scattered around the inside.

    Across the street, a car was crushed under a collapsed building where residents had another close call.

    Fujiko Ueno, 73, said nearly 20 people were in her house for a New Year celebration when the quake struck but miraculously all emerged uninjured.

    “It all happened in the blink of an eye” she said, standing in the street among debris from the wreckage and mud that oozed out of the road’s cracked surface.

    Several world leaders sent condolence messages with President Joe Biden saying in statement the United States was ready to provide any necessary help to Japan.

    “Our thoughts are with the Japanese people during this difficult time,” he said.

    The Japanese government ordered around 100,000 people to evacuate their homes on Monday night, sending them to sports halls and school gymnasiums, commonly used as evacuation centres in emergencies.

    Many returned to their homes on Tuesday as authorities lifted tsunami warnings.

    But around 33,000 households remained without power in Ishikawa prefecture early on Tuesday morning after a night where temperatures dropped below freezing, according to Hokuriku Electric Power’s 9505.T website. Most areas in the northern Noto peninsula also have no water supply, NHK reported.

    The Imperial Household Agency said it would cancel Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako’s slated New Year appearance on Tuesday following the disaster. Kishida postponed his New Year visit to Ise Shrine scheduled for Thursday.

    Japan’s defence minister told reporters on Tuesday that 1,000 army personnel are currently involved in rescue efforts and that 10,000 could eventually be deployed.

    Nuclear plants

    The quake comes at a sensitive time for Japan’s nuclear industry, which has faced fierce opposition from some locals since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that triggered nuclear meltdowns in Fukushima. Whole towns were devastated in that disaster.

    Japan last week lifted an operational ban imposed on the world’s biggest nuclear plant, Kashiwazaki-Kariwa, which has been offline since the 2011 tsunami.

    The Nuclear Regulation Authority said no irregularities were found at nuclear plants along the Sea of Japan, including five active reactors at Kansai Electric Power’s Ohi and Takahama plants in Fukui Prefecture.

    Hokuriku Electric’s Shika plant, the closest to the epicentre, has also been idled since 2011. The company said there had been some power outages and oil leaks following Monday’s jolt but no radiation leakage.

    The company had previously said it hoped to restart the reactor in 2026.

    Chip equipment maker Kokusai Electric said it is investigating further after finding some damage at its factory in Toyama ahead of the planned resumption of operations on Thursday.

    Companies including Sharp, Komatsu and Toshiba have been checking whether their factories in the area have been damaged. damage at its factory in Toyama ahead of the planned resumption of operations on Thursday.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Israel faces new calls for truce after killing of hostages raises alarm about its conduct in Gaza

    Israel faces new calls for truce after killing of hostages raises alarm about its conduct in Gaza

    [ad_1]

    DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israel’s government faced calls for a cease-fire from some of its closest European allies and from protesters at home on Sunday after a series of shootings, including of three hostages who waved a white flag, added to mounting concerns about its conduct in the 10-week-old war in Gaza.

    The protesters urge the government to renew hostage negotiations with Gaza’s Hamas rulers, whom it has vowed to destroy. Israel could also face pressure to scale back major combat operations when U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin visits Monday. Washington is expressing growing unease with civilian casualties even while as it provides vital military and diplomatic support.

    The war has flattened large parts of northern Gaza, killed thousands of civilians and driven most of the population to the southern part of the besieged territory, where many are in crowded shelters and tent camps. Some 1.9 million Palestinians — nearly 85% of Gaza’s population — have fled their homes.

    They survive off a trickle of humanitarian aid. Israel said that starting Sunday, U.N. aid trucks would be able to enter Gaza from a second location, Kerem Shalom, in Israel.

    Dozens of desperate Palestinians surrounded aid trucks after they drove in through the Rafah crossing with Egypt, forcing some to stop before climbing aboard, pulling down boxes and carrying them off. Other trucks appeared to be guarded by masked people carrying sticks.

    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel “will continue to fight until the end,” with the goal of eliminating Hamas, which triggered the war with its Oct. 7 attack into southern Israel. Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people that day, mostly civilians, and captured scores of hostages.

    Netanyahu vowed to bring back the estimated 129 hostages still in captivity. Anger over the mistaken killing of hostages is likely to increase pressure on him to renew Qatar-mediated negotiations with Hamas over swapping more of the remaining captives for Palestinians imprisoned in Israel.

    Gaza, meanwhile, saw telecom services gradually resume after a four-day communications blackout, the longest of several outages during the war. Aid groups say they complicate rescue efforts and make it more difficult to monitor the toll on civilians.

    In Israel on Sunday, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna called for an “immediate truce” aimed at releasing more hostages, getting larger amounts of aid into Gaza and moving toward “the beginning of a political solution.”

    France’s Foreign Ministry earlier said an employee was killed in an Israeli strike on a home in Rafah on Wednesday. It condemned the strike, which it said killed several civilians, and demanded clarification from Israeli authorities.

    The foreign ministers of the U.K. and Germany, meanwhile, called for a “sustainable” cease-fire, saying too many civilians had been killed.

    “Israel will not win this war if its operations destroy the prospect of peaceful co-existence with Palestinians,” British Foreign Secretary David Cameron and German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock wrote in the U.K.’s Sunday Times.

    The U.S. defense secretary is set to travel to Israel to continue discussions on a timetable for ending the war’s most intense phase. Israeli and U.S. officials have spoken of a transition to more targeted strikes aimed at killing Hamas leaders and rescuing hostages, without saying when it would occur.

    Hamas has said no more hostages will be released until the war ends, and that in exchange it will demand the release of large numbers of Palestinian prisoners, including high-profile militants.

    Hamas released over 100 of more than 240 hostages captured on Oct. 7 in exchange for the release of scores of Palestinian prisoners during a brief cease-fire in November. Nearly all freed on both sides were women and minors. Israel has rescued one hostage.

    The Israeli military said Sunday it had discovered a large tunnel in Gaza close to what was once a busy crossing into Israel, raising new questions about how Israeli surveillance missed such conspicuous attack preparations by Hamas.

    Military officials said Saturday that the three hostages who were mistakenly shot by Israeli troops had tried to signal that they posed no harm. It was Israel’s first such acknowledgement of harming hostages in the war.

    The hostages, all in their 20s, were killed Friday in the Gaza City area of Shijaiyah, where troops are engaged in fierce fighting with Hamas. An Israeli military official said the shootings were against the army’s rules of engagement and were being investigated at the highest level.

    Israel says it makes every effort to avoid harming civilians and accuses Hamas of using them as human shields. But Palestinians and rights groups have repeatedly accused Israeli forces of recklessly endangering civilians and firing on those who do not threaten them, both in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, which has seen a surge of violence since the war began.

    Pope Francis on Sunday called for peace, saying “unarmed civilians are being bombed and shot at, and this has even happened inside the Holy Family parish complex, where there are no terrorists but families, children and sick people with disabilities, nuns.” He spoke after the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said two Christian women at a church compound in Gaza were killed by Israeli sniper fire.

    A British lawmaker, Layla Moran, said several family members were among hundreds sheltering in the compound. “This is a church. It’s a week before Christmas. This is Advent. This is an important time in the Christian family’s religious calendar. And there is a sniper killing women and firing at children,” she asserted.

    In Gaza, Palestinians on several occasions have said Israeli soldiers opened fire at fleeing civilians.

    The offensive has killed more than 18,700 Palestinians, the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run territory said Thursday in its last update before the communications blackout. It has said that thousands more casualties are buried under the rubble. The ministry does not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths, but has said that most of those killed were women and children.

    On Sunday, five people were killed and many injured after a reported Israeli airstrike hit near a U.N.-run school in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis where displaced Palestinians were sheltering. A cameraman with The Associated Press counted five bodies delivered to a hospital.

    The plight of Palestinian civilians has gotten little attention inside Israel, where many are still deeply traumatized by the Oct. 7 attack and where support for the war remains strong.

    Israel’s military says 121 of its soldiers have been killed in the Gaza offensive. It says it has killed thousands of militants, without providing evidence.

    ___

    Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Tia Goldenberg in Tel Aviv, Israel contributed to this report.

    ___

    Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Much of Kenya falls into darkness in the third nationwide power blackout in 3 months

    Much of Kenya falls into darkness in the third nationwide power blackout in 3 months

    [ad_1]

    NAIROBI, Kenya — A power blackout hit Kenya on Sunday evening, paralyzing large parts of the country, and the transport minister called for an investigation into “possible acts of sabotage and coverup” over the third nationwide outage in three months.

    The electricity failure began around 8 p.m., affecting many vital facilities, including the main airport in the capital, Nairobi, which is a major transport hub connecting East Africa to Asia, Europe and other parts of the world.

    Noting the recent big outages, Transport Minister Kipchumba Murkomen said soon after visiting the airport late Sunday that “we are making a formal request to the National Police Service to investigate possible acts of sabotage and coverup.”

    The state-run utility, Kenya Power, blamed the blackout on a “system disturbance” and said the problem was being addressed by technicians.

    “We have lost electricity supply to various parts of the country due to a suspected fault affecting the power system,” a statement said.

    Later Sunday, Kenya Power issued an update saying it had restored electricity service to parts of the country, including some residential districts in the capital, but many areas in Kenya remained without power Monday morning

    During a similar blackout last month, it took engineers over 12 hours to restore power in most parts of the country.

    But the worst outage was on Aug. 25, the longest disruption in Kenya’s history. The cause remains a mystery, with the power company blaming a failure at Africa’s largest wind farm, which laid the responsibility on the power grid instead.

    In parts of the country, including Nairobi, it took almost 24 hours for the power to come back on.

    Kenyans on social media demanded answers from Kenya Power over the frequent power outages following Sunday’s failure, while others mocked the agency, saying it was worse than power companies in Nigeria and South Africa, where rationing or load-shedding, as it is known, is common.

    The latest blackout in Kenya comes at a time when the country is facing high fuel prices which many have blamed for millions of dollars in losses to businesses and the wider economy, which is struggling badly.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Kenya falls into darkness in the third nationwide power blackout in 3 months

    Kenya falls into darkness in the third nationwide power blackout in 3 months

    [ad_1]

    NAIROBI, Kenya — A nationwide power blackout hit Kenya Sunday evening, paralyzing large parts of the country, including the main airport in the capital, Nairobi, a major transport hub connecting East Africa to Asia, Europe and other parts of the world.

    Sunday’s outage began around 8 p.m. local time (1700 GMT) and was the third national power supply failure within the last three months.

    Among the key establishments affected was the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, as well as Eldoret Airport in western Kenya, where emergency power generators failed to kick in after the power grid failed.

    The state-run utility, Kenya Power, blamed the the blackout on a “system disturbance” which it claimed was being addressed by technicians.

    “We have lost electricity supply to various parts of the country due to a suspected fault affecting the power system,” a statement said.

    “We are working to restore normalcy within the shortest time possible. An update on the restoration progress will be issued in due course. We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience caused.”

    Kenya Power enjoys a monopoly in the supply and distribution of electricity, but has for years been accused of poor service delivery and corruption that has led to the high cost of electricity in Kenya.

    Some parts of the country reported the power had come back two hours later.

    During a similar blackout last month, it took over engineers over 12 hours to restore power in most parts of the country.

    But the worst outage was on Aug. 25, the longest disruption in Kenya’s history. The cause remains a mystery with the power company blaming a failure at Africa’s largest wind farm, which laid the responsibility on the power grid instead.

    In parts of the country, including Nairobi, it took almost 24 hours for the power to come back on.

    Kenyans on social media demanded answers from Kenya Power over the frequent power outages following Sunday’s failure, while others mocked the agency, saying it was worse than power companies in Nigeria and South Africa, where rationing or load-shedding, as it is known, is commonplace.

    The latest blackout in Kenya comes at a time when the country is facing high fuel prices which many have blamed for millions of dollars in losses to businesses and the wider economy, which is struggling badly.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Internet collapses in war-torn Yemen after recent attacks by Houthi rebels

    Internet collapses in war-torn Yemen after recent attacks by Houthi rebels

    [ad_1]

    Internet access across the war-torn nation of Yemen collapsed Friday and stayed down for hours, with officials later blaming unannounced “maintenance work” for the outage

    ByThe Associated Press

    November 9, 2023, 10:53 PM

    This is a locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa. (AP Photo)

    The Associated Press

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Internet access across the war-torn nation of Yemen collapsed Friday and stayed down for hours, with officials later blaming unannounced “maintenance work” for the outage.

    The interruption began early Friday and halted all traffic at YemenNet, the country’s main provider for about 10 million users which is now controlled by Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthis.

    Both NetBlocks, a group tracking internet outages, and the internet services company CloudFlare reported the outage. The two did not offer a cause for the outage.

    “Data shows that the issue has impacted connectivity at a national level as well,” CloudFlare said.

    By late Friday, service had been fully restored.

    In a statement to the Houthi-controlled SABA state news agency, Yemen’s Public Telecom Corp. blamed the outage on maintenance.

    “Internet service will return after the completion of the maintenance work,” the statement quoted an unidentified official as saying.

    The undersea FALCON cable carries the internet into Yemen through the Hodeida port along the Red Sea for TeleYemen. The FALCON cable has another landing in Yemen’s far eastern port of Ghaydah as well, but the majority of Yemen’s population lives in its west along the Red Sea.

    GCX, the company that operates the cable, later issued a statement also saying that “scheduled maintenance took place” involving the line.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • AP news site hit by apparent denial-of-service attack

    AP news site hit by apparent denial-of-service attack

    [ad_1]

    The Associated Press news website experienced an outage that appeared to be consistent with a denial-of-service attack, a federal criminal act that involves flooding a site with data in order to overwhelm it and knock it offline

    ByThe Associated Press

    November 1, 2023, 11:36 AM

    The Associated Press news website experienced an outage that appeared to be consistent with a denial-of-service attack, a federal criminal act that involves flooding a site with data in order to overwhelm it and knock it offline.

    Attempting to visit the apnews.com site starting Tuesday afternoon would load the home page, although links to individual stories failed in various ways. Some pages remained blank, while others displayed error messages. The problem was resolved by Wednesday morning.

    AP’s delivery systems to customers and mobile apps were not affected by the outage.

    “We’ve experienced periodic surges in traffic but we’re still looking into the cause,” said Nicole Meir, a media relations manager at the company. When engineers thought they had a handle on surging traffic from one source, she said, it would resurface elsewhere.

    A hacktivist group that calls itself Anonymous Sudan said on its Telegram channel Tuesday morning that it would be launching attacks on Western news outlets. The group subsequently posted screenshots of the AP and other new sites as proof they had been rendered unreachable by DDoS attacks.

    “The propaganda mechanism is rather simple,” said Alexander Leslie, an analyst with the cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. “The actor conducts a temporary attack, screenshots ‘proof’ of an outage that often lasts for a short period of time and affects a small number of users, and then claims it to be a massive success.”

    AP has not been able to verify whether Anonymous Sudan was behind the attack.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Gaza’s communications cut again for hours, as dozens of foreigners and wounded prepare to exit

    Gaza’s communications cut again for hours, as dozens of foreigners and wounded prepare to exit

    [ad_1]

    RAFAH, Gaza Strip — Gaza was plunged into another communications blackout Wednesday, with internet and phone service cut for several hours as Israeli troops battled Hamas militants. Meanwhile, dozens of foreign passport holders crowded into a border crossing ahead of what could be the first such departure from the besieged Palestinian enclave.

    Communications began to be restored after Gaza’s second such blackout in recent days, but aid agencies warned that the disruptions severely hamper their work in an already dire situation. Deadly airstrikes — including one that leveled apartment buildings in a refugee camp near Gaza City — have forced many to flee their homes and basic supplies are running low.

    Despite the deteriorating circumstances, no one has been allowed to leave Gaza, except for four hostages released by Hamas, since Israel declared a total siege in the wake of the militants’ bloody Oct. 7 rampage into southern Israel.

    But an agreement appeared to have been reached Wednesday. The Palestinian crossing authority said more than 400 foreign passport holders would be permitted to leave for Egypt, as would some wounded people. Egypt has said it will not accept an influx of Palestinian refugees because of fears Israel will not allow them to return to Gaza after the war.

    Dozens of people could be seen entering the Rafah crossing — the only one currently operating — and ambulances carrying wounded Palestinians exited on the Egyptian side. More than 80 Palestinians — out of many thousands wounded in the war — will be brought in for treatment, Egypt’s Health Ministry said, and a field hospital has been set up in an Egyptian town near the crossing.

    But as a few hundred prepared to leave, the rest of of Gaza’s 2.3 million people found themselves cut off from the world — and each other — once again.

    The Palestinian telecoms company Paltel said internet and mobile phone services were gradually being restored in Gaza following a “complete disruption.” Communications had earlier gone down over the weekend as Israeli troops pushed into Gaza in larger numbers.

    Internet-access advocacy group NetBlocks.org attributed both disruptions to “measures imposed by Israel.” Alp Toker, the director the group, said “service remains significantly below pre-war levels.”

    The International Committee of the Red Cross said communication blackouts make it harder for civilians to seek safety. “Even the potentially life-saving act of calling an ambulance becomes impossible,” said Jessica Moussan, an ICRC spokesperson.

    More than 8,500 Palestinians have been killed in the war, mostly women and minors, and more than 21,000 people have been wounded, the Gaza Health Ministry said Tuesday, without providing a breakdown between civilians and fighters. The figure is without precedent in decades of Israeli-Palestinian violence.

    Over 1,400 people have died on the Israeli side, mainly civilians killed during Hamas’ initial attack, also an unprecedented figure. Palestinian militants also abducted around 240 people during their incursion and have continued firing rockets into Israel.

    The Israeli military confirmed Wednesday that nine soldiers have been killed in fighting in northern Gaza, bringing the total of military casualties since the start of the ground operation to 11.

    On Tuesday, rescuers frantically dug through the rubble of apartment buildings leveled in Israeli airstrikes on the Jabaliya refugee camp near Gaza City, pulling out men, women and children. The director of a nearby hospital where casualties were taken, Dr. Atef Al-Kahlot, said hundreds of people were wounded or killed, but the exact toll was not yet known.

    Israel said the strike, which targeted senior Hamas military leader Ibrahim Biari, destroyed a militant command center and an underground tunnel network, and killed dozens of other fighters. Military spokesman Jonathan Conricus said Biari had also been a key planner of the Oct. 7 attack, and that the apartment buildings collapsed only because the underground Hamas complex had been destroyed.

    Neither side’s account could be independently confirmed.

    The strike underlined the anticipated surge in casualties on both sides as Israeli troops advance toward the outskirts of Gaza City and its dense residential neighborhoods. Israeli officials say Hamas’ military infrastructure, including hundreds of kilometers (miles) of underground tunnels, is concentrated in the city, which was home to some 650,000 people before the war.

    Israel has been vague about its operations in Gaza, but residents and spokesmen for militant groups say troops appear to be trying to take control of the two main north-south roads.

    An estimated 800,000 Palestinians have fled south from Gaza City and other northern areas following Israeli orders to evacuate, but hundreds of thousands remain in the north, including many who left and later returned because Israel is also carrying out airstrikes in the south.

    Gaza has been sealed off since the start of the war, causing shortages of food, water, medicine and fuel. Israel has allowed international aid groups to send more than 200 trucks carrying food and medicine to enter from Egypt over the past 10 days, but aid workers say it’s not nearly enough.

    Israel has barred fuel imports, leading to a blackout in the territory that relies heavily on generators for electricity. Hospitals have warned that their own generators may soon shut down, putting patients on life support at risk. Israel says it won’t allow fuel to enter because Hamas would confiscate it to use for military purposes.

    Israel has vowed to crush Hamas’ ability to govern Gaza or threaten it, while also saying it does not plan to reoccupy the territory, from which it withdrew soldiers and settlers in 2005. But it has said little about who would govern Gaza afterwards.

    In congressional testimony on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested that “at some point, what would make the most sense is for an effective and revitalized Palestinian Authority to have governance and ultimately security responsibility for Gaza.”

    Hamas drove the authority’s forces out of Gaza in a week of heavy fighting in 2007, leaving it with limited control over parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Palestinian support for the President Mahmoud Abbas has plunged since then, with many Palestinians dismissing the PA as little more than Israel’s police force because it helps suppress Hamas and other militant groups.

    The war has meanwhile threatened to ignite more fighting on other fronts. Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militant group have traded fire daily along the border, and Israel and the U.S. have struck targets in Syria linked to Iran, which supports Hamas, Hezbollah and other armed groups in the region.

    Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari, an military spokesman, said Israeli forces “intercepted a threat” overnight south of the southernmost city of Eilat that did not pose any risk to Israelis and did not enter Israeli airspace, without elaborating. A day earlier, the military said it shot down what appeared to be a drone near Eilat and intercepted a missile over the Red Sea. Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed the attacks.

    ___

    Magdy reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Wafaa Shurafa in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, and Amy Teibel in Jerusalem, contributed to this report.

    ___

    Full AP coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • The World Bank approved a $1B loan to help blackout-hit South Africa’s energy sector

    The World Bank approved a $1B loan to help blackout-hit South Africa’s energy sector

    [ad_1]

    The World Bank has approved a $1 billion loan for South Africa to help it address an energy crisis that has peaked this year with the country’s worst electricity blackouts

    ByGERALD IMRAY Associated Press

    October 25, 2023, 3:39 PM

    FILE — A coal truck, right, passes the coal-powered Duvha power station, near Emalahleni (formerly Witbank) east of Johannesburg, Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022. The World Bank has approved a $1 billion loan for South Africa to help it address an energy crisis that has peaked this year with the country’s worst electricity blackouts. It has forced South Africa to lean more heavily on its highly polluting coal-fired power stations. (AP Photo/Denis Farrell/File)

    The Associated Press

    CAPE TOWN, South Africa — CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The World Bank approved a $1 billion loan for South Africa on Wednesday to help it address an energy crisis that has peaked this year with the country’s worst electricity blackouts. The energy problem has forced the country to lean on its highly polluting coal-fired power stations.

    South Africa has experienced scheduled, rolling blackouts for months because of problems generating enough electricity for its 62 million people. The state-run power utility, Eskom, generates approximately 80% of the country’s electricity through its coal stations, but they have failed to meet demand due to mismanagement, corruption and regular breakdowns.

    South Africa’s commitment to its climate change targets are in danger of being affected in the short term, with President Cyril Ramaphosa announcing in April that it may delay shutting down some of its coal stations because of the electricity supply problems.

    “The loan endorses a significant and strategic response to South Africa’s ongoing energy crisis, and the country’s goal of transitioning to a just and low carbon economy,” the World Bank said.

    While Africa contributes the least to climate change and is the continent affected the most, South Africa is Africa’s most advanced economy and the world’s 16th-largest emitter of greenhouse gases overall. It is 45th per capita based on 2019 data, according to Climate Watch.

    The South African government has said it needs nearly $80 billion over the next five years to fund its transition to greener energy sources.

    It has already received a $439.5 million loan from the World Bank to help convert a former power station into a renewable energy provider. The Komati power station was decommissioned last year, but its story is an example of how developing countries desperately need money to finance their change to greener energy sources to help meet climate change goals.

    The World Bank has been urged to provide more funding for African countries facing climate change and other problems.

    ___

    AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • A computer issue is holding up United flights. The airline and FAA don’t know how long it will last

    A computer issue is holding up United flights. The airline and FAA don’t know how long it will last

    [ad_1]

    United Airlines flights are being held up by what federal officials are calling an equipment outage

    ByABC News

    September 5, 2023, 1:50 PM

    United Airlines flights were halted nationwide on Tuesday because of an “equipment outage,” according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

    One of several FAA bulletins said that United crews were unable to contact airline dispatchers through normal means. The FAA said the issue was limited to United and its subsidiaries.

    United did not immediately respond to a request for more information.

    Shares of Chicago-based United Airlines Holdings Inc. fell on news of the ground stop and were down more than 3% in afternoon trading.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Dory Power Introduces Trade-in Program for Portable Solar Generators

    Dory Power Introduces Trade-in Program for Portable Solar Generators

    [ad_1]

    Press Release
    •

    Aug 30, 2023

    Portable and uninterruptible backup power for indoor use


    CLEVELAND, August 30, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Dory Power, a leading innovator in portable power solutions, is excited to announce its new trade-in program, allowing customers who previously purchased Dory-branded portable battery generators to upgrade to the latest models. This program is designed to provide existing customers with the opportunity to experience the advanced technology and enhanced features of Dory’s latest offerings.

    The trade-in program will initially be available for the Dory B2700 model. Customers who own the B2700 can now trade in their old model to acquire the new and improved Sentry model. The Sentry is a cutting-edge 3-in-1 system that seamlessly integrates solar generator capabilities, portable power station functionality, and uninterruptible power supply features. This upgrade represents a significant advancement in portable power technology and offers customers greater flexibility and reliability in various situations.

    Dory Power introduces the trade-in program as part of its commitment to delivering the best possible portable power solutions to its valued customers.  The upgraded models in the trade-in program correspond to the old models as follows:

    • Dory B2700 model corresponds to Dory Sentry model
    • Dory B5000 model corresponds to Dory Sentry Pro model
    • Dory B7000 model corresponds to Dory Sentry Pro Max model

    While the trade-in program is currently available for the B2700 model, Dory Power plans to extend this offer to the B5000 and B7000 models in the near future, allowing customers to upgrade to the Sentry Pro and Sentry Pro Max models respectively. This phased approach ensures that customers can choose the right upgrade option that aligns with their specific power needs.

    Customers interested in participating in the trade-in program can visit the Dory Power website for more information on the products and contact Dory sales via sales@dorypower.com on how to initiate the trade-in process.

    Dory Power, founded in 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, is a leading US technology company focusing on the design and manufacture of advanced lithium-ion battery power systems for energy storage and backup power supply.

    Source: Dory Power

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Cause of Kenya’s longest power outage in memory remains unclear as grid suppliers exchange blame

    Cause of Kenya’s longest power outage in memory remains unclear as grid suppliers exchange blame

    [ad_1]

    NAIROBI, Kenya — The longest nationwide power outage in Kenyans’ memory remained a mystery Sunday as the government-owned power company blamed a failure at Africa’s largest wind farm, which laid the responsibility on the power grid instead.

    Some of Kenya’s more than 50 million people, including in the capital, Nairobi, saw power return almost 24 hours after the massive outage occurred late Friday. It was an embarrassment to the East African economic hub that has sought to promote itself as a tech center on the continent but remains challenged by alleged mismanagement and poor infrastructure.

    Hundreds of people were stranded in darkness for hours at Kenya’s main international airport in Nairobi, leading to a rare public apology from a government minister in a country where tourism is a key part of the economy. “This situation WILL NOT happen again,” transport minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, said.

    The head of the Kenya Airports Authority was fired after a generator serving the main international terminal had failed to start.

    Shortly before midnight Saturday, Kenya Power offered the first detailed explanation of the outage, blaming it on a loss of power generation from the Lake Turkana Wind Power plant, Africa’s largest wind farm, causing an imbalance that “tripped all other main generation units and stations, leading to a total outage on the grid.”

    But Lake Turkana Wind Power in a statement denied it was to blame. Instead, it said it had been forced to go offline by an “overvoltage situation in the national grid system which, to avoid extreme damage, causes the wind power plant to automatically switch off.” The plant had been producing nearly 15% of the national output at the time.

    Such an interruption should be immediately compensated by other power generators in the system, the company said, but the continuing outages in the national grid were preventing the wind plant from being brought back online.

    Kenya Power said it couldn’t even turn to importing power from neighboring Uganda, a relatively fast option that for some reason had been unavailable.

    “We are jointly working on having the Uganda interconnector restored so as to enhance our grid recovery efforts,” it said.

    President William Ruto, whose own office told The Associated Press on Saturday it was still running on generator power hours after Kenya Power announced it had restored electricity to “critical areas” of the capital, did not comment publicly on the crisis. Instead, he again criticized opposition calls for anti-government protests over the rising cost of living, calling them a threat to investors.

    “Shame of a nation,” was the main headline of one of Kenya’s leading newspapers, the Sunday Nation. It said the outage was costing businesses millions of dollars and leaving some major hospitals to run on generators.

    Kenya gets almost all its electricity from renewable sources, a fact that the government will promote as it hosts the first Africa Climate Summit early next month.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Cause of Kenya’s longest power outage in memory remains unclear as grid suppliers exchange blame

    Cause of Kenya’s longest power outage in memory remains unclear as grid suppliers exchange blame

    [ad_1]

    NAIROBI, Kenya — The longest nationwide power outage in Kenyans’ memory remained a mystery Sunday as the government-owned power company blamed a failure at Africa’s largest wind farm, which laid the responsibility on the power grid instead.

    Some of Kenya’s more than 50 million people, including in the capital, Nairobi, saw power return almost 24 hours after the massive outage occurred late Friday. It was an embarrassment to the East African economic hub that has sought to promote itself as a tech center on the continent but remains challenged by alleged mismanagement and poor infrastructure.

    Hundreds of people were stranded in darkness for hours at Kenya’s main international airport in Nairobi, leading to a rare public apology from a government minister in a country where tourism is a key part of the economy. “This situation WILL NOT happen again,” transport minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, said.

    The head of the Kenya Airports Authority was fired after a generator serving the main international terminal had failed to start.

    Shortly before midnight Saturday, Kenya Power offered the first detailed explanation of the outage, blaming it on a loss of power generation from the Lake Turkana Wind Power plant, Africa’s largest wind farm, causing an imbalance that “tripped all other main generation units and stations, leading to a total outage on the grid.”

    But Lake Turkana Wind Power in a statement denied it was to blame. Instead, it said it had been forced to go offline by an “overvoltage situation in the national grid system which, to avoid extreme damage, causes the wind power plant to automatically switch off.” The plant had been producing nearly 15% of the national output at the time.

    Such an interruption should be immediately compensated by other power generators in the system, the company said, but the continuing outages in the national grid were preventing the wind plant from being brought back online.

    Kenya Power said it couldn’t even turn to importing power from neighboring Uganda, a relatively fast option that for some reason had been unavailable.

    “We are jointly working on having the Uganda interconnector restored so as to enhance our grid recovery efforts,” it said.

    President William Ruto, whose own office told The Associated Press on Saturday it was still running on generator power hours after Kenya Power announced it had restored electricity to “critical areas” of the capital, did not comment publicly on the crisis. Instead, he again criticized opposition calls for anti-government protests over the rising cost of living, calling them a threat to investors.

    “Shame of a nation,” was the main headline of one of Kenya’s leading newspapers, the Sunday Nation. It said the outage was costing businesses millions of dollars and leaving some major hospitals to run on generators.

    Kenya gets almost all its electricity from renewable sources, a fact that the government will promote as it hosts the first Africa Climate Summit early next month.

    [ad_2]

    Source link