Walter Finch
GIBRALTAR has suffered a total power outage this afternoon not dissimilar to the one that shook Spain in April this year.
Sources have confirmed to the Olive Press that the blackout occurred after contractors working for a data centre damaged three high-voltage cables working on North Mole Road.
A contractor carrying out preparatory works for Gibraltar’s planned £1.8 billion Pelagos Data Centre – the single biggest investment project in the territory’s history – have been blamed.
The Gibraltar Electricity Authority confirmed the cause of the blackout shortly before 2pm, saying engineers were on site and testing was underway to assess the full extent of the damage.
Sources have warned that repairs ‘will take a while’ and that checks were continuing to make sure no further cables had been compromised.
GibElec said the firm SDE Limited had been provided with detailed maps of the underground lines, as is standard procedure, yet still managed to damage them at the North Mole.
The utility began testing the affected area this afternoon to determine which cables could be used to restore supply, warning that power would only return gradually and that delays were expected.
District-by-district restoration is due to begin at around 7pm.
The blackout has left thousands of residents without electricity, sparking widespread anger across the Rock.
Essential services at St Bernard’s Hospital have not been interrupted thanks to backup generators, which are said to be working optimally.
The government said it is now exploring legal and legislative measures to hold contractors to account in such cases.
Officials noted that a similar incident in April at the BESS site was only recently resolved through a claim for compensation, and that action against SDE Limited is already being considered.
Power cuts of this scale, the government stressed, pose serious risks to public safety and the economy, disrupting everything from household appliances and small businesses to traffic lights and the Fire and Rescue Service.
The Royal Gibraltar Police said its telephone lines, including the 999 emergency number, had been knocked out by the outage.
A temporary number – 56199028 – has been set up for the public to contact the Control Room until power is restored.
Fire and Rescue crews reported a ‘substantial’ number of calls from people trapped in lifts, with teams dispatched across the Rock.
Traffic lights have also been knocked out, prompting warnings for drivers and pedestrians to exercise extreme caution.
Shops, restaurants and offices have been forced to close at what should have been a busy time, with two cruise ships in port bringing a high influx of tourists.
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