A widespread power outage plunged the Greater Malé Region into darkness on Sunday afternoon, disrupting daily life across Malé, and Hulhumalé. The blackout, which began around 12:30 p.m., was attributed to a technical malfunction within the Greater Malé Interconnection Grid, according to the State Electric Company Limited (STELCO).
STELCO’s Managing Director, Hussain Fahmy, announced that electricity services have been fully restored to the affected areas. He expressed gratitude to the company’s employees and all those who assisted in the restoration efforts. Fahmy also assured the public that STELCO is committed to identifying the root cause of the outage and implementing measures to prevent future incidents.
The blackout had significant impacts on the capital, leading to the early dismissal of students from schools and temporary disruptions to various services. However, critical infrastructure, including Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital and Dharumavantha Hospital, remained operational during the outage.
In response to the incident, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has directed authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the power failure. The Maldives Police Service has launched a special probe to determine the exact cause of the outage.
The Greater Malé Interconnection Grid, a project initiated in 2016, was completed in 2024. The project aimed to provide a stable and sustainable electricity supply to the region by interconnecting the power grids of Malé, Hulhumalé, and Hulhulé. The completion of this project was expected to significantly reduce power outages in the area.
As investigations continue, STELCO has pledged to keep the public informed about the findings and any steps taken to enhance the reliability of the power supply in the Greater Malé Region.
