Puerto Rico in Crisis: Power Outages Trigger Emergency Response and Protests

Central and southern Puerto Rico face a severe power outage, prompting emergency responses and food distribution efforts. The outage, caused by an aged transformer collapse, is expected to last over a month, worsening amid daily heat warnings and impacting water services. Politicians and residents are raising alarms over the urgent situation.

Towns in central and southern Puerto Rico are grappling with a prolonged power outage that has left tens of thousands without electricity, leading authorities to deploy an emergency response team and arrange for food distribution. The power disruption, a result of an elderly transformer failure, could extend over a month according to officials at Luma Energy, sparking widespread discontent.

The situation has disrupted water services and coincides with daily excessive heat warnings as the Atlantic hurricane season commences. Puerto Rican politicians, including Sen. Héctor Santiago Torres, have voiced the urgency for an official state of emergency. 'The people of Santa Isabel, Coamo, and Aibonito cannot endure another day without electricity,' Torres declared, highlighting the dire need.

Local residents, especially those in poverty, are greatly affected. Carmen Franco lamented the loss of her refrigerator and spoiled food due to voltage issues. In Coamo, a music school has been converted into a kitchen to provide meals for affected individuals, including the elderly. Mayor Juan Carlos García Padilla expressed concerns over the community's inability to cope with the high cost of living without power. The crisis exacerbates the longstanding issues since Hurricane María in 2017, highlighting systemic vulnerabilities in Puerto Rico's energy supply and urgent calls for renewable energy solutions.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)