A mischievous monkey wreaked havoc on Sri Lanka’s electrical grid Sunday, causing a nationwide power outage that lasted for hours, government officials confirmed.
The blackout, which began at approximately 11:30 AM local time (0600 GMT), was triggered when the monkey came into contact with a grid transformer in a southern suburb of Colombo. The resulting system imbalance plunged the entire island into darkness.
“A monkey has come in contact with our grid transformer, causing an imbalance in the system,” Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody told reporters. “Engineers are working to restore power as soon as possible.”
While electricity was gradually returning to some areas, officials did not provide a timeframe for full restoration.
Echoes of Past Energy Crises
The unexpected outage revived memories of Sri Lanka’s severe energy crisis in 2022, when the country endured daily blackouts of up to 13 hours due to an economic meltdown. A lack of foreign exchange had led to fuel shortages, crippling the nation’s power supply and triggering mass protests.
Since then, the economy has been on the path to recovery, with Sri Lanka recently concluding a long-delayed debt restructuring deal. President Dissanayake, who took office last September, has pledged to maintain strict economic reforms under a $2.9 billion IMF bailout program.
Despite these efforts, Sunday’s incident highlights the vulnerability of the nation’s power grid, with even a small intruder capable of causing widespread disruption.
