Bali’s power grid is slowly coming back online after a widespread blackout hit the island on Friday afternoon. The outage affected critical infrastructure, including the island’s airport, but officials say most areas are now seeing electricity restored.
The state-owned electricity company, Perusahaan Listrik Negara, reported the outage started around 4 p.m. local time. Ahmad Sayuti, general manager of Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport, said the airport’s backup power kicked in, allowing flights to continue operating. However, some flights experienced delays.
Restoration Efforts
The Indonesian government moved quickly to restore power, prioritizing key infrastructure like government offices, hospitals, and hotels. PLN’s CEO confirmed that electricity began returning to some areas within hours of the outage. The cause of the blackout was traced to a fault in the undersea transmission cable linking Java and Bali. Officials now plan to upgrade the cable system to prevent similar incidents in the future.
As the island’s tourism industry begins to recover, the impact of the outage is becoming clear. Bali welcomed over 6.3 million foreign visitors last year, making it one of Indonesia’s most important tourist destinations. Officials are working to minimize further disruptions and get the island’s economy back on track.
Source: Channel News Asia