Oranjestad — More than ten neighborhoods experienced extended power outages for approximately five hours following a traffic accident in Piedra Plat that damaged critical electrical infrastructure.
The incident began around 4:30 PM when calls started reaching the newsroom reporting electricity failures across multiple areas. NV ELMAR confirmed on its Facebook page that the accident in Piedra Plat had caused significant damage to the power grid.
Damage to Infrastructure
According to ELMAR’s official statements, the accident caused severe damage to a high-tension power pole (hoogspanningslijnen). Technicians were dispatched immediately to the site and had to disconnect power supply in the affected area to work safely.
By approximately 6:00 PM, technicians completed repairs to the high-tension lines, allowing WEB to reconnect the substation so ELMAR could begin restoring power. However, shortly after, an additional interruption was discovered on the same circuit.
Extended Repairs
During further investigation, technicians realized that the car accident had affected a high-voltage line due to damage to an underground cable. Crews immediately began work to fix the cable.
Technicians had to isolate the second interruption that had emerged on the same circuit. Due to the flexibility of the power grid, all connected cables could be transferred to another power source before beginning the reconnection process.
Throughout the repair work, ELMAR provided updates on its Facebook Page about the progress. After 9:00 PM, the company began reconnecting the affected areas back to the power grid.
Community Response
All residents who experienced power outages contacted the newsroom seeking information. Many attempted to call ELMAR directly but were unable to reach anyone. This situation resulted in some neighborhoods remaining without electricity longer than others.
Restoration was completed by switching power supply at various transformer houses, where technicians isolated the problem and supplied electricity from an alternate source.
