Monkey blamed for nationwide power outage in Sri Lanka | World News

A monkey has been blamed for causing a nationwide blackout in Sri Lanka, leaving 22 million residents without power. The blackout, which started on Sunday morning, was caused when the monkey came into contact with a grid transformer near Colombo. The country’s energy minister, Kumara Jayakody, stated that engineers were working to restore power as quickly as possible. Some areas had power restored within hours, but many households were without electricity until late on Sunday. This incident comes after previous issues with Sri Lanka’s electrical system, including blackouts and rationing during an economic crisis in 2022. Local newspaper the Daily Mirror editor-in-chief, Jamila Husain, noted the irony of monkeys causing a nationwide power outage. Engineers have been warning the government to upgrade the system to prevent frequent blackouts. A source indicated that the national power grid is in a weakened state, making islandwide power outages more likely with any disturbance in the lines. Sri Lanka will need to address these infrastructure issues to prevent future incidents.

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