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.”
Others were stranded as the city’s transit system came to a halt. “The metro isn’t running. I have to figure out how to get there,” said 26-year-old bank employee Lissa Fernández, who said her workplace was running on backup power.
Hospitals, banks, and large institutions switched to generators, but many homes and small businesses were left powerless. In some neighborhoods, residents gathered on darkened streets, waiting for news on when the lights would return.
At a barbershop in Santo Domingo, owner Leonel Encarnación said his business was packed when the blackout struck — until the air conditioning cut off. “Ever since the air conditioning shut down, the clients left,” he said.
The Dominican Republic’s energy network relies heavily on oil and its derivatives, with smaller portions coming from coal, natural gas, and renewable sources such as solar and wind, according to the International Energy Agency.
Officials have not provided a clear timeline for restoring electricity, leaving millions uncertain as they wait for the grid to come back online.
