Massive power outage in the Czech Republic: metro lines and trams not working in Prague, people stuck in elevators

A large-scale power outage has affected part of the Czech Republic. Some areas of Prague, as well as the Central Bohemian, Ústí nad Labem, and Liberec regions, were left without electricity. Part of the energy grid lost voltage, and the accident also affected several substations. This is reported by Denik, writes UNN.

Details

ČEPS company reported that the incident was caused by an emergency shutdown of one of the main power transmission lines V411, due to which part of the north and east of the country switched to an "island" mode of operation. This means that part of the network remained isolated and without voltage.

Rescuers are helping people stuck in elevators — more than 12 such cases have been recorded in the Central Bohemian Region alone.

Transport shutdown and disruptions in the capital

In Prague, the city center, as well as the districts of Spořilov, Žižkov, Jižní Město, and others, were left without electricity. According to Pražská energetika, the outage was caused by a malfunction at the ČEPS substation in the Chodov district. The metro on lines A, B, and C temporarily stopped, but later resumed operation. Tram traffic has already been restored on the left bank of the Vltava, and is operating with limitations on the right bank.

Prague Airport is operating normally.

ČEZ Distribuce also reported outages, but the exact scale is not yet known. According to reports, electricity disappeared in the cities of Liberec, Jablonec nad Nisou, Česká Lípa, Nový Bor, and Frýdlant. In Liberec, trams are not running due to this, although buses continue to move.

Other affected regions

In the Hradec Králové region, electricity disappeared for about half an hour. Firefighters received calls for about 20 cases of people stuck in elevators. According to the rescue service spokesperson, the number of such cases continues to grow, and backup power sources are also being used.

Medical facilities operate on generators

Minister of Health Vlastimil Válek reassured the public, stating that hospitals were not affected by the outage, as backup generators were immediately activated. Patients are receiving full assistance, although there may be delays in some examinations. The minister promised to inform about further developments.

Recall

In April of this year, the Spanish Ministry of Interior declared a state of emergency due to a nationwide power outage that affected most of the Iberian Peninsula.

Experts believed that the Spanish power grid could not cope with a large volume of solar energy, which led to the shutdown of 15 GW.