Widespread power outage hits Dominican Republic

Large parts of the Dominican Republic were plunged into darkness on Tuesday after a major transmission failure triggered a nationwide blackout, cutting power to the capital Santo Domingo and the resort town of Punta Cana, among other areas.

The state-owned electricity company, Empresa de Transmisión Eléctrica Dominicana (ETED), said the outage was caused by a “transmission system failure” of unspecified scope, leading to what officials later described as a total collapse of the power grid.

Energy Minister Joel Santos confirmed the incident during a press conference, calling it “a regrettable situation” that “ended up affecting the system as a whole.” He said power was being gradually restored, adding that “we already have 455 megawatts, which represents about 15 percent of the estimated demand.”

The blackout disrupted daily life across the Caribbean nation of 11 million people. Authorities in Santo Domingo reported that traffic lights went out across the city, causing congestion, while metro and cable car services were suspended. Passengers trapped inside trains and cabins were later evacuated safely, officials said.

The outage also affected the tourism-dependent eastern region, including the Punta Cana area, where hotels and businesses were forced to rely on backup generators. On social media, users shared videos and messages showing entire neighborhoods and towns in darkness.

By nightfall, ETED said that power restoration was underway in stages, with priority given to hospitals, airports, and critical infrastructure.

In recent weeks, Dominicans have faced mounting frustration over a series of prolonged power cuts, some lasting up to 10 hours a day. The Board of Electricity Distribution Companies (CDEEE) has blamed the recurring outages on insufficient maintenance and widespread electricity theft through illegal connections.

The country’s fragile power grid has long struggled with underinvestment and technical inefficiencies, issues that have been exacerbated by rising energy demand and limited capacity for generation and transmission.

While Tuesday’s blackout is among the most severe in recent years, authorities assured citizens that measures were being taken to stabilize the system and prevent similar nationwide disruptions in the future.