A general islandwide blackout on Sunday ( Feb. 9 ) was caused by an intruding monkey at a Sri Lankan electrical grid sub-station, according to government officials.
The power outage, which began around 11.30am local time ( 2pm Singapore time ), had yet to be fully restored after three hours.
Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody reported to reporters that” a chimp has come in contact with our network converter, creating an imbalance in the system.”
The incursion took position in a southern Colombo district, he said.
In some places, power was restored, but it was not immediately known how long the interruption would continue.
The secretary stated that “engineers are attending to it to try to restore the company as soon as possible.”
When Sri Lankans experienced an economic turmoil during the summer of 2022, the state was forced to endure decades of power outages.
Gas stations ran out of gasoline and diesel, causing thermal power stations to reduce electricity for 13 hours per day.