Nationwide Blackout Cripples Dominican Republic, Shuts Down Transit and Businesses

A massive power outage plunged the entire 🇩🇴Dominican Republic into darkness on Tuesday, halting transportation, shuttering businesses, and bringing daily life to a standstill for nearly 11 million people.

According to The Associated Press, officials said the rare nationwide 🔌Blackout was caused by a failure in the country’s transmission system, but the exact reason for the breakdown remained unclear.

The Dominican Electricity Transmission Company, a state-run agency, reported that generation units at the San Pedro de Macorís and Quisqueya Power Plant shut down unexpectedly, triggering a cascade of failures that rippled through other parts of the grid.

The 🔌Blackout left much of the island’s capital, Santo Domingo, without power or public transit. Metro trains stalled mid-route, forcing passengers to walk through tunnels to reach safety, while the city’s aerial cable cars also ground to a halt. Traffic gridlock quickly followed as streetlights went dark and drivers struggled to navigate intersections.

“Traffic is already chaos in eastern Santo Domingo,” said Tomás Ozuna, 37, an IT worker trying to reach his night shift. “I don’t know how we’ll work.”