Lebanon was plunged into darkness this weekend after the electricity grid was cut off by vandals after dozens of unidentified demonstrators stormed the Aramoun power plant near Mount Lebanon, according to a report by Le Parisien.
The information was confirmed by the Electricity of Lebanon company, which said in a statement late Saturday night, “Protesters stormed the main station in the ‘switching area,’ placing their personal safety and the safety of the station workers at risk.”
The vandalism “negatively impacted the network, which caused the disconnection of all the power plants . . . leading to a general blackout for the entire Lebanese territory” from 5 pm Saturday, the company said.
It may take several days for power to be restored, officials said.
This is not the first time the country has gone dark: last October, two main power plants were unable to operate due to lack of fuel.
However, within 24 hours the Lebanese Army delivered nearly 160,000 gallons of fuel oil, splitting the delivery between the Deir Ammar and Zahrani power stations.
This time, violence brought down the electricity grid.
“In light of the current difficult economic, financial and monetary conditions, the Company reiterates its appeal to all the authorities and security forces of the country on the need to protect all of the Company’s facilities from any further attack,” the statement added.
Lights Are Back on in Lebanon, For Now
The Aramoun power station acts as the main power station connecting the Zahrani electrical plant with the rest of the national electric grid, the company said.