Minister blames monkey for Sri Lanka nationwide power cut

A widespread power outage occurred across Sri Lanka, attributed to a monkey entering a power station south of Colombo. Power is gradually being restored, with the lives of 22 million people affected, and priority being given to supplying electricity to medical facilities and water purification plants. This incident highlights the vulnerability of the country's power infrastructure.

Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody told reporters, "A monkey touched our grid transformer, causing a system imbalance." The power outage began around 11 a.m. local time on Sunday (05:30 GMT), forcing many to rely on generators for power. Officials stated that it may take several hours to fully restore the power supply, emphasizing the complexity of the grid system.

On social media, people criticized the authorities while also making light of the incident. X user Mario Nawfal wrote: "A rogue monkey triggered a full-scale failure at a substation in Colombo, causing Sri Lanka's entire grid to collapse. One monkey = total chaos. Time to rethink infrastructure?" Another X user, Sreeni R, posted an illustration of the Hindu monkey god Hanuman, writing: "Sri Lanka has suffered from monkeys in the past." Daily Mirror editor Jamila Husain wrote: "Only in Sri Lanka can a fight between monkeys inside a power station cause an island-wide blackout," showcasing the absurdity of the situation.

A report published by the newspaper on Monday stated that engineers have been warning successive governments "for years" about the risk of frequent power outages if the grid is not upgraded. The report quoted a senior engineer, who wished to remain anonymous, as saying: "The national grid is already in a very weak state, and if any of our lines fail, it could lead to frequent island-wide power outages." These warnings underscore the urgent need for infrastructure improvements.

Sri Lanka also experienced widespread power outages during the 2022 economic crisis. This latest event has once again raised concerns about Sri Lanka's electricity infrastructure and the urgent need for grid upgrades and modernization to ensure a stable power supply for the nation's future.