QCOSTARICA – Many parts east of San Jose and the downtown area were in the dark last night, shortly after 7:00pm, due to a problem in the Instututo Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) transmission line supplying electricity.
As confirmed by Luis Fernando Andres, head of distribution for the Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz (CNFL) – ICE’s light and power company, the areas affected were: areas of Guadalupe, Tibás, San Pedro, downton San Jose and all of Coronado, Moravia, Sabanilla, as well as San Miguel de Santo Domingo in Heredia.
The problem would have occurred in the distribution system and maintains ICE out of service, 4 CNFL substations.
Power failures lasting only a few minutes after 7:00pm were also reported in parts of Alajuela, Cartago, Escazu and bordering Santa Ana. ICE officials say they do not know if the power failure in those area was related to the same problem.
It was an hour or more before power was restored.
Later in the evening, Elberth Duran, spokesperson for ICE, said a fire in a substation in San Miguel de Heredia may have been the cause of the blackout, the fire could have activated the protection systems of the generating substation.
“The San Miguel is very important station for the national grid,” said the official.
