Massive Power Outage Triggered by Falling Tree

A massive power outage that left large areas of Phnom Penh without electricity and water and plunged southern Vietnam into darkness on Wednesday was caused by a crane operator knocking a tree onto a high voltage power line, Vietnam’s state-owned energy provider said yesterday. … “A crane with the registration number 61P-3745 broke safety regulations, which led to widespread outages in the Southern region of Vietnam,” the Southern Power Corporation, which is owned by Vietnam Electricity Group, said in a statement. … The state-owned newspaper, Than Nien, reported that the incident had cost the Southern Power Corporation and estimated $7000, 000 in lost revenue. … An official at Cambodia’s state-owned energy provider Eletricite du Cambodge…said that no one yet had estimated how much the incident had cost the firm. … However he did say the outage had meant Cambodia’s national grid had lost 40 percent of its capacity during the hours without electricity. … The blackout hit the tourist thronged river front area and left scores of hotels restaurants and offices throughout the city in darkness. …

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