The Public Utilities Commission has launched a special investigation into the nationwide power outage that lasted for approximately five hours. While initial reports suggest that the outage may have been caused by a monkey intrusion at the Panadura Grid Substation, the commission will thoroughly examine whether such an incident could realistically trigger a nationwide blackout.
Minister of Energy, Engineer Kumara Jayakodi, confirmed that the incident disrupted the national power grid’s balance, leading to the island-wide blackout.
The outage began at approximately 11:15 AM today (09), affecting all regions across the country. For nearly five hours, the entire nation faced significant disruptions. However, by 5:30 PM, power was successfully restored in most areas, according to Professor Udayanga Hemapala, Secretary to the Ministry of Energy.
Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya, Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), stated that all grid substations had resumed operations. However, minor disruptions in secondary supply lines still persist in some areas, and urgent efforts are being made to resolve these issues.
Since the incident occurred on a Sunday, electricity demand was relatively lower, which aided the restoration process. However, due to workers being off-duty, additional time was required to mobilize staff and address the failure. By 2:00 PM, power was restored to priority areas, including Katunayake International Airport.
Minister Kumara Jayakodi assured that necessary preventive measures are being taken to avoid such power failures in the future. A comprehensive investigation into the incident is currently underway.
The government will take further decisive action based on the Public Utilities Commission’s report, ensuring that similar large-scale disruptions are prevented in the future.