Massive power outage hits Panama metro, water services

A massive power outage hit Panama just before noon on Sunday affecting Panama City's metro system and water supply in different parts of the country.

Without providing an explanation as to the cause, electric power company Etesa announced some hours later that the country's grid had been fully reestablished.

In the case of the metro, service was halted on the two lines, with users having to be evacuated. While operations resumed on the recently opened line No. 2 on Sunday afternoon, line No. 1 remained inoperable until Monday morning, subway operator Metro de Panamá said via its Twitter account.

The second line had begun partial operations on Friday in the run-up to World Youth Day, a Catholic event scheduled to take place in the Panamanian capital January 22-27.

Both the capital's Tocumen international airport and the Panama Canal activated their backup systems and were able to maintain normal operations.

The blackout also temporarily affected production at the Jaime Díaz Quintero potable water treatment plant and its corresponding pumping station in La Chorrera municipality in Panama Oesté province.

The Federico Guardia Conte potable water treatment plant in Chilibre, as well as similar facilities in Herrera, Veraguas, Coclé, Chiriquí, Los Santos and Boca del Toro province were also affected.

Service was resumed gradually throughout the evening except for those areas located in higher places, where the restart of operations was expected to take longer, national water and sewerage utility Idaan said on its Twitter account.

Etesa CEO Gilberto Ferrari said the company will launch an investigation into the causes of the blackout.